Which of the following is/are true of antibiotic usage and the development of antibiotic resistance?
A)Antibiotics cause mutations (antibiotics are mutagens), thus resulting in increasingly resistant bacterial populations.
B)Antibiotics increase the rate of bacterial transformation, conjugation, and transduction, and thus increase the spread of antibiotic resistance.
C)Antibiotics cause R-plasmids to form and cause their transfer, spreading antibiotic resistance.
D)Antibiotics select for resistant mutants and bacteria possessing R-plasmids, increasing their frequency in the population.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antibiotics select for resistant mutants and bacteria possessing R-plasmids, increasing their frequency in the population. While antibiotics may cause mutations or increase the spread of resistance, the primary mechanism for the development of antibiotic resistance is through natural selection. Antibiotics selectively kill off susceptible bacteria while allowing resistant bacteria to survive and reproduce. Over time, the frequency of resistant bacteria increases and they become the dominant population. This is why overuse and misuse of antibiotics can accelerate the development of antibiotic resistance.

Which of the Following Is/are True of Antibiotic Usage and the Development