Mechanisims of Antibiotic resistance

A mutation is a change in the DNA that can sometimes casue a change in the gene product, which is the target of the antimicrobial. If a bacterial cell had a mutation it would change the structure of the bacterias DNA causing the structure to possibly have a resistance to a certain antibiotic according to the structure. Genes are units of heredity.Antibiotic genes might get trasferred between bacteria through injection, reproduction and by eating another bacteria that has the antibiotic resistant gene therefore the trait would be passed. An antibiotic is designed to stop or slow down the growth of bacteria. In Antibiotic resistance a bacteria builds up an immunity and is able to withstand the antibiotic. Another way an antibiotic resistant gene is passed is through conjugation which is mediated by a particular kind of circular DNA called a plasmid which replicates independently of the chromosome. Molecular biology depends on plasmids for cloning and some of the plasmids carry the drug resistant gene. Transformation is the process where genes are transferred from one bacterium to another as "naked DNA"(not surrounded by a cell). Transduction is a bacterial DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another inside a virus that infects bacteria.