Antibacterial Soap Causes Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Essay

Modern-day advances have allowed scientists to develop methods to control pathogens. The more common methods include the use of antiseptics, antibiotics, and vaccines. By definition, antiseptics are chemicals used to kill pathogens. A few widespread antiseptics include soap, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. Antiseptics are primarily used for the external destruction of pathogens, while antibiotics and vaccines target internal pathogens. Nevertheless, there are and can be difficulties concerning the use of antibiotics. “As antibiotic use has become more common, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have evolved.” This resistance due to evolution is called antibiotic resistance. It results in the antibiotics having no effect whatsoever on the bacteria, rendering the antibiotics useless. When antibiotic resistance occurs, scientists must resume their search to create a new medicine to can kill the mutant bacteria.

Antibiotics either stop the bacterial cell from reproducing or kill the cell. They can disrupt the bacteria by deterring

Most people naturally carry the bacteria in their intestines, away from the oxygen that would kill them. Given that our intestines produce different types of bacteria, so if we take antibiotic

Antibiotic resistance is when microorganisms, such as bacteria, are able to survive an exposure to antibiotics and these bacteria are now resistant to the effects of these antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has been an issue since antibiotics were discovered. The fact that bacteria can become resistant to our medical treatments such as antibiotics is a natural evolutionary process, but there are certain human contributions that definitely speed up the process. For example, one of the main contributions that will be discussed is the problem of over prescription of the antibiotic drugs. The

The misuse and overdose of the antibiotics increase the resistance problem. It can cause these bacteria to

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as one of the greatest public health concerns of the 21st century. Nearly every type of bacteria has become stronger and less responsive to antibiotic treatment. This can eventually make it impossible to treat certain infections, leading to serious disability or death. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections can be attributed to overuse and over prescription. The uses of antibiotics in livestock are increasing resistance for animals and humans.

Widespread use of antibiotics has been very controversial in the media as well in the general population. Due to these controversies, it is very misunderstood to how antibiotics work leading to many patients in the hospital setting wanting to take them when it is not necessary or refusing to take when it is necessary for their survival. Some of this controversy is due to antibiotic resistance, which has spread an alarming rate in the 21st century (Walsh, 2000). Antibiotic resistance is the result of very strong bacteria or microbes that are resistant to the antibiotic prescribed and those microbes accumulate overtime by their survival, reproduction and transfer, leading to increased levels of antibiotic resistance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describes antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria or other microbes to resist the effects of antibiotic treatment. () So instead of being destroyed by the medications, the bacteria survives and continues to reproduce, resultant in new communicable diseases that even more difficult to treat.

This then means that the illness can spread, because the antibiotic has not succeeded in curing it. The way that bacteria form this type of resistance can be explained through natural selection. To start with, there are variations in the bacteria in the way that some are able to resist the antibiotic and some are not. When the bacteria come into contact with an antibiotic, those that are resistant will survive, while the rest will die. These selected bacteria then pass on the characteristics that allow them to resist the antibiotic. This means that over time, the antibiotic will become ineffective against a larger percentage of the bacteria. A new resistant strain of the bacteria has been formed that can survive even when treated with antibiotics, therefore enabling it to be passed to other people. The main cause of this is the overuse or misuse of antibiotics, which allows the bacteria more of a chance to develop a resistance. Some bacteria such as those found in the digestive tract, are naturally resistant to types of antibiotics. Illnesses that have previously been easy to cure with antibiotics are now harder to treat due to antibiotic

The misuse of antibiotics means that bacteria that have minor resistances survive when patients do not follow their prescription regimens, and then they are able to flourish and spread this resistance to other bacteria (14). This is a result of miseducation among the public about when antibiotics should be taken. In the United States, for instance, 9% of people who take antibiotics are either taking antibiotics that they or someone they knew had leftover (15). This is a danger because taking antibiotics when they are not needed removes the body's natural flora that helps prevent infection and allows for antibiotic resistant bacteria to

Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria by interfering with the cell wall or organelle formation. (News Medical, 2004) Bacteriostatic antibiotics interfere with the cell’s metabolic processes, such as DNA replication and protein synthesis. (News Medical, 2004) Both actions inhibit the cells vital processes, causing cell death. (Crierie & Grieg, 2010) However, superbugs, such as strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are deadly as they are very difficult to treat due to their resistance to multiple antibiotics. (NPS MedicineWise, 2012) Previously, Staphylococcus aureus was treated with benzyl penicillin. Currently, however, the bacteria cannot be controlled through this method, as they have developed resistance, which occurs because bacteria have the ability to mutate. After antibiotic contact, bacteria can alter their DNA in a way that enables them to resist the antibiotics. Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms and produce asexually by binary fission, thus their offspring have no genetic diversity. The only source of genetic variation in bacteria is through mutation. (Crierie & Grieg, 2010) Mutation refers to changes in gene sequences, resulting in variation in subsequent generations. This process occurs in every millionth to ten-millionth cell. (Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, 2014) Certain types of mutations cause different types of resistance. They may enable

First, previous exposure to antimicrobial agents such as antibiotics and antimicrobial cleaners only kill some of the bacteria if they are not used properly which allow some of the bacteria to become resistant to that drug or agent. The bacteria is then able to mutate so that they become resistant to them (Treas & Wilkinson, 2014).

Rather than simply pushing the drug aside or setting up molecular blockades, some bacteria survive by neutralizing their enemy directly – this involves destroying the antibiotic altogether. For example, some kinds of bacteria produce enzymes called beta-lactamases that destroy and digest the

Abstract: Background research states that bacteria are microscopic single-celled organisms that are ALL AROUND the environment. We can stop the spread of germs by coughing/sneezing into a tissue. Throw it out right away after that. If you don’t have a tissue, cover your cough/sneeze. Always wash hands after sneezing/coughing, or after throwing away used tissues/handkerchiefs. Diarrheal diseases, meningitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, skin diseases, tuberculosis, urinary tract infections, common cold, & vaginal infections are caused by bacteria. Bacterial growth refers to an increase cell number. Bacteria divide & grow by binary fission. To make your immune system strong, you have

Humans tend to not realize how much bacteria we come into contact with every single day. Today, humans are constantly connected to their cell phones and take them everywhere. Phones harbor a ridiculous amount of bacteria when not cleaned correctly and frequently. Phones can even be home to dangerous diseases like MRSA and skin infections (South University 2013). Everyday, we humans, take our phones everywhere, even into places like bathrooms. We tend to not care for our phones and clean them as well as they should be cleaned. The overuse of phones and the constant contact with people causes it to now be the topic of conversation for the spread of harmful bacteria and disease. It has come into recent conversation that phones could contain more