Bacteria, Antibiotic Resistance & Antigenic Change

What is Horizontal Gene transfer?

transferring genetic material between individuals of the same generation through conjugation, transformation or transduction

What factors have led to the increase in antibiotic resistance?

overuse and misuse, agricultural use of antibiotics, horizontal gene transfer, high bacterial reproduction rates

How can Antibiotic Resistance arise through Natural Selection?

random mutations may produce antibiotic resistant bacteria. when antibiotic is used resistant bacteria survive and pass on the resistant allele, causing frequency of resistance alleles to increase

What is Antigenic Drift?

small, gradual changes in genes caused by the accumulation of mutations over time. results in the virus becoming slightly different from previous strains

What is Antigenic Shift?

a sudden, major change caused by the reassortment of genetic material. resulting in.a substantially different viral strain to emerge

How does drift and shift lead to a reduction in vaccination efficiency?

antibodies produced by vaccination may not recognise the virus. In drift vaccine may need to be updated, in shift vaccines may need to be completely remade