Unit 1.2 Antibiotic Treatment

Whenever we began this unit, we first started by drawing and labeling a diagram of a bacterial cell. We also learned the differences between gram negative and gram positive. Then we spent time learning about four different classes of antibiotics which are penicillins, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and sulfa antibiotics and took notes on which parts of the bacterial cell they affect. Then, in our groups, we talked about the story of culbreath and made posters dealing with the chickens and CIPRO. After that our groups discussed what conjugation, transformation, and transduction were. My group studied transformation and made a 3-D poster. After that we broke into new groups and I worked with Taylor in order to study antibiotic resistance. We used different colored chips that represented the least to most resistant bacteria and found out how antibiotics work to kill a bacteria within your body. Finally, the last thing we did was work with a partner to study a certain type of bacteria. Randall and I gave our presentation on VISA and VRSA. We learned all about the bacteria such as the causes, prevention, and prognosis.

Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is whenever a bacterial cell is able to destroy an antibiotic. The genes of the bacterial cell will become resistant to the antibiotic. Most of the antibiotic resistant genes reside on the plasmids and can be transferred to another cell by means of conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation being where the two cells connect using the pilus and then allowing the transfer of one cells DNA to another. Transformation is where one cell will die and then the free-floating "naked" DNA will be picked up by another cell. Transduction is where bacterial DNA transfers from one bacterial cell to another inside a bacteriophage. The main cause of antibiotic resistance is a mutation in the bacterial cell. Also, mutations in the target protein in the bacterial cell can prevent the antibiotics from binding to it.