A Good Diagram of How Antibiotic Resistance Evolves : Mike the Mad Biologist

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« Why the Silence on the Right About Cefquinome? | Main | Some Sunday Links »

A Good Diagram of How Antibiotic Resistance Evolves

Posted on: March 10, 2007 10:06 AM, by Mike

One of the little things I liked about Rick Weiss' cefquinome article was a diagram about how antibiotic resistant strains evolve.

One of the confusing things about the evolution of resistance (and natural selection, for that matter) is the notion that the evolution of resistance happens among individuals within populations. This graphic from the Washington Post lays that out quite nicely:

GR2007030500018

It might be good for students too.

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Comments

Bacteria can pass resistance to each other via plasmids right?

Posted by: Steven | March 10, 2007 12:27 PM

Steven,

yes, but the rate of plasmid transfer is usually very low, so, in effect, it should be thought of as a funky kind of mutation. In other words, plasmid transfer isn't infectious, in the way that a virus is.

As with all things in biology, there are obviously exceptions.

Posted by: Mike the Mad Biologist | March 11, 2007 10:26 AM

There are chemical signals that increase the rate of plasmid transfer. I don't know if antibiotics have this kind of effect, but I wouldn't be surprised if some do.

(I used to work on this - except the transfer was from bacteria to plants.)

Posted by: Sandra Porter | March 13, 2007 1:12 PM

thanks

Posted by: sex shop | July 18, 2008 9:15 AM

(I used to work on this - except the transfer was from

Posted by: erotik shop | September 8, 2008 12:31 PM

There are chemical signals that increase the rate of plasmid transfer. I don't know if antibiotics have this kind of effect, but I wouldn't be surprised if some do.

Posted by: seks shop | September 8, 2008 12:36 PM

There are chemical signals that increase the rate of plasmid transfer. I don't know if antibiotics have this kind of effect,

Posted by: sex shop | September 8, 2008 12:38 PM

rate of plasmid transfer. I don't know if antibiotics

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I recall reading an article that said the opening shots in the next world war would be in cyberspace, with dodgy spambots flooding the net.

Either that or its viral marketing.

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