Questions: What is the evolutionary process that causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria to increase and antibiotic-sensitive bacteria to decrease in an environment where antibiotics are present? natural selection bacterial selection antibiotic selection evolutionary selection environmental selection

The answer is the first one: natural selection.

Explanation for each option:

1. Natural selection: This is the correct answer. Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. In the context of antibiotic resistance, bacteria that have mutations allowing them to survive in the presence of antibiotics will reproduce more successfully than those that are sensitive to antibiotics. Over time, this leads to an increase in the population of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2. Bacterial selection: This term is not commonly used in evolutionary biology. While it might imply the selection of certain bacteria, it does not accurately describe the process of natural selection that leads to antibiotic resistance.

3. Antibiotic selection: This term is also not commonly used in evolutionary biology. It might suggest that antibiotics are selecting the bacteria, but it does not accurately describe the natural selection process.

4. Evolutionary selection: This is a broader term that encompasses all types of selection processes in evolution, including natural selection. However, it is not specific enough to describe the process of antibiotic resistance.

5. Environmental selection: This term could refer to any selection process influenced by the environment, but it is not specific enough to describe the process of natural selection in the context of antibiotic resistance.

Summary: The evolutionary process that causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria to increase and antibiotic-sensitive bacteria to decrease in an environment where antibiotics are present is natural selection.