Questions: Evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria Refer to the figure below, and then put the events on the left in the most logical order to explain antibiotic resistance in a population of bacteria. Drag the text blocks below into their correct order. Many bacteria that are not resistant to antibiotics die. The bacteria that are most resistant to antibiotics reproduce, passing their resistance genes to their daughter cells. A mutation conferring antibiotic resistance occurs in one or a few individuals in the population of bacteria. The next generation of bacteria has more antibiotic resistant individuals than the previous generation. The population of bacteria is exposed to antibiotics. Reset

Solution Steps

The process begins with a population of bacteria, symbolized by the green circles. This is the original population before any exposure to antibiotics, and it's assumed that most individuals are not resistant.

A mutation occurs randomly in one or a few bacteria, represented by the red circle. This mutation gives these bacteria resistance to a specific antibiotic. It's important to understand that the mutation happens _before_ the antibiotic is introduced.

The bacterial population is exposed to the antibiotic. This could be through the administration of an antibiotic medication to a patient infected with these bacteria.

Many of the bacteria that are not resistant to the antibiotic die. The antibiotic creates a strong selective pressure, favoring the survival and reproduction of the resistant bacteria.

The bacteria with the antibiotic resistance mutation survive and reproduce. Critically, they pass the resistance gene to their offspring.

As a result of the preferential survival and reproduction of resistant bacteria, the next generation contains a higher proportion of antibiotic-resistant individuals. This process, repeated over multiple generations, leads to a population dominated by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Final Answer