Evolution, Genetics, and Resistant Viruses

**-Lazarus-** · 05-23-13, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by SmokenScion

No, I meant what I typed.

Why would bacteria grow resistant to a short dose of penicillin?

Well, as my doctor recently explained it to me, if you don't finish your prescription, not enough bacteria are killed. If you stop taking your medicine too early, your immune system may not be capable of killing off the stragglers, and any resistant bacteria left unscathed will be able to proliferate and spread to other people. What's worse, the resistant bacteria are able to transmit DNA to other weaker bacteria, making them stronger as well. This issue of people not finishing prescriptions because they "feel better" has been found to be one of the main reasons for drug resistant bacteria.

That's why I thought you must have meant shorter.

I know of no studies where taking more than the recommended length of a dose of antibiotic resulted in drug resistant bacteria.

**WickedTribe** · 05-23-13, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by SmokenScion

No, I meant what I typed.

Why would bacteria grow resistant to a short dose of penicillin?

The idea is that you kill off the bacteria that are weakest against the antibotic given, so the only ones that are left are the ones that are better at resisting it. Then you stop taking it, and those ones are able to reproduce again. The new population is going to have their ancestors' resistance to that antibiotic.

**DJ Ms. White** · 05-23-13, 02:19 PM

Evolution is a son of a bitch.

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**moving-target** · 05-23-13, 02:26 PM

wait texans know about evolution ?

**Guyver** · 05-23-13, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by moving-target

wait texans know about evolution ?

Yeah, we know about it. Some of us don't believe it, though.

**-Lazarus-** · 05-23-13, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by DJ Mr. White

Evolution is a son of a bitch.

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What we're discussing here isn't an example of evolution...

**DJ Ms. White** · 05-23-13, 04:56 PM

Generations of bacteria becoming increasingly resistant to meds over time is not evolution? Right....

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**DJ Ms. White** · 05-23-13, 04:56 PM

Must be deus ex machina then

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**-Lazarus-** · 05-23-13, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by DJ Mr. White

Generations of bacteria becoming increasingly resistant to meds over time is not evolution? Right....

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No new mutated genetic information is created in the example you cite. I'm not arguing evolution either way here, I'm just saying that this particular example isn't an example of evolution. That's all.

**Kanati** · 05-23-13, 05:59 PM

It most certainly is. Not in the CURRENT generation, but since it's offspring will only be of the resistant variety, generational mutation is most definitely a form of micro-evolution.