BIO 3124 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Poxviridae, Endocytosis, Obligate Parasite
25 Jan 2018
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October 13th lecture (slide 346 slide 391) Treatment of an invading organism: a life is saved. The number of resistant bacteria is increasing at an alarming rate. To what is this increase attributable: 1990: 300 metric tons of antibiotics are used in humans, approx. 30 times more in agriculture: 70% are not used appropriately, doses which are too low, prescribed for too short of durations, prescribed for viral infections, prescribed for bacterial infections which would have resolved themselves. Reasons for such a high consumption: the patient, wants a rapid treatment, publicity, the physician, wants to satisfy the patient, avoid legal proceedings, cost (antibiotherapy is less expensive than other tests and treatments) Industry: publicity and pressure from pharmaceutical companies. Microorganisms normally and randomly acquire spontaneous mutations. The presence of antibiotics exerts a selective pressure: the presence of the antibiotic creates a selective environment for microorganisms that acquired by chance a favourable mutation. Inactivation: proteins that bind and inactivate the antibiotic.
