Antibiotics

For antibiotic therapy we played a hands on activity that showed us what would happen if you were to stop taking your antibiotics half way through the treatment. Even if a person were to feel better we learned that there sickness could get worse if they did not complete the antibiotic. We also learned of conjugation, transformation, transduction. Conjugation is mediated by a circular DNA called plasmid, which replications independently of the chromosome. Transformation is the process in which genes are transferred from one bacterium to another through free floating DNA. Transduction is when bacterial DNA is trasferred from one bacteruim to another inside a virus that infects bacteria.

Antibiotic Resistance

An antibiotic resistance is a resistance that the body has to a certain antibiotic. A mutation is any change in the DNA that could sometimes cause change in gene product which is the target protein of the antimicrobial. Genes can be transferred three different ways. One way is by conjugation is mediated by plasmid, which is a kind of circular DNA. Plasmid replicates independently of the chromosome. The second way is by transformation is a process in which genes are trasnferred from a bacterium to another as "naked DNA." Naked DNA is the free floating that is eaten. Lastly genes can be transferred by transduction. Transduction is when bacterial DNA is from one bacterium to another inside a virus that infects bacteria called bacteriophage. Pilus is a hairlike appendage found in bacteria. Pili connect a bacteruim to another bacterium and builds a bridge. This stops the transfer of plasmids between bacterium.