• Question: How do microorganisms mutate quicker than we can develop cures to counter act them?

    Asked by anon-231239 to Steven, Clio, Bruno Silvester on 15 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Bruno Silvester Lopes

      Bruno Silvester Lopes answered on 15 Nov 2019:

      by the process of evolution and natural selection

    • Photo: Steven Rudder

      Steven Rudder answered on 15 Nov 2019:

      Bacteria have the ability to pass each other genetic information. These pieces of genetic information are called plasmids and the process is known as horizontal gene transfer.

    • Photo: Clio Andreae

      Clio Andreae answered on 18 Nov 2019:

      The rate at which bacteria can replicate and develop mutations in genes that allow them to survive treatment is also factor. The faster the rate of mutation allows for faster evolution to different selection pressures (e.g. antibiotic presence). Those bacteria that survive the treatment (either by having a mutation in a gene that stops the drug from working, or altered cell membrane permeability, or by causing the bacteria to become dormant and enter a persister state) then pass on their genetic material to the bacteria around them so the population then becomes resistant or more tolerant to antibiotic treatment.

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