Today’s interesting fact has to do with bacteria and antibiotic resistance.
This is a subject I could write on all day, so I will be doing several posts over the next few weeks on the subject.
When antibiotics were first introduced, many people who would have died from what we now consider minor infections instead lived and they were considered a modern miracle.
However many bacteria are developing antibiotic resistances.
Sometimes this occurs from mutations within their genome.
Just as often, it seems the bacteria are getting the genes from other bacteria.
It seems that bacteria have sex.
And not just with bacteria from their own species, but also from other bacterial species.
This is why so many diseases are more serious.
Challenged in September 2010 to come up with interesting facts every day by one of my work colleagues, I've since entertained him and those near his desk with bits of information dredged from my brain. Some of my audience went on holiday and still wanted the facts so I started posting here, every day I do one of them, usually Monday through Friday, and the occasional post on the weekend. I post these facts here almost every day and you will find two posts on some days to make any missing days.
Showing posts with label antibiotic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label antibiotic. Show all posts
Friday, August 19, 2011
Labels:
antibiotic,
bacteria,
genome,
miracle,
resistance,
sex
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