For many years, antibiotics have been effectively used to treatbacterial disease; and pesticides have been used to protect ouragricultural crops from many kinds of pests, including insects,worms (nematodes), fungi, or agricultural weeds, for example.
A growing concern for treating bacterial diseases or pest outbreaksis the evolution of antibiotic or pesticide resistance by bacterialor pest populations. Resistance means that a particular antibioticis no longer effective in treating a disease, or that a particularpesticide will no longer prevent crop damage. This resistance canbe viewed as evolution of a new trait at the population level,which is resistance to an antibiotic or to a pesticide. In thisassignment, you will explore specific examples of antibiotic orpesticide resistance.
Assignment details:
After reading materials about evolution and about antibiotic andpesticide resistance in the text, the Course Materials, the AIUOnline Library and / or the Internet, answer the following.
1.Select and describe one example of antibiotic resistance orpesticide resistance. Be specific in your choice.
â¦Describe the background for your choice of resistance. Includedetails about the disease or pest and the established controlstrategies. How have we used antibiotics (to treat a particulardisease), or pesticides (to protect from a pest); and how has thischanged?
2.Explain how the resistant trait evolved based on principles ofnatural selection and evolution of a trait at the populationlevel.
3.For your specific example, what are the consequences ofresistance in terms of human health or crop loss / damage?
4.What steps can be taken to prevent or slow down the evolution ofantibiotic or pesticide resistance? Do you think we will succeed indoing so? Why or why not?
For many years, antibiotics have been effectively used to treatbacterial disease; and pesticides have been used to protect ouragricultural crops from many kinds of pests, including insects,worms (nematodes), fungi, or agricultural weeds, for example.
A growing concern for treating bacterial diseases or pest outbreaksis the evolution of antibiotic or pesticide resistance by bacterialor pest populations. Resistance means that a particular antibioticis no longer effective in treating a disease, or that a particularpesticide will no longer prevent crop damage. This resistance canbe viewed as evolution of a new trait at the population level,which is resistance to an antibiotic or to a pesticide. In thisassignment, you will explore specific examples of antibiotic orpesticide resistance.
Assignment details:
After reading materials about evolution and about antibiotic andpesticide resistance in the text, the Course Materials, the AIUOnline Library and / or the Internet, answer the following.
1.Select and describe one example of antibiotic resistance orpesticide resistance. Be specific in your choice.
â¦Describe the background for your choice of resistance. Includedetails about the disease or pest and the established controlstrategies. How have we used antibiotics (to treat a particulardisease), or pesticides (to protect from a pest); and how has thischanged?
2.Explain how the resistant trait evolved based on principles ofnatural selection and evolution of a trait at the populationlevel.
3.For your specific example, what are the consequences ofresistance in terms of human health or crop loss / damage?
4.What steps can be taken to prevent or slow down the evolution ofantibiotic or pesticide resistance? Do you think we will succeed indoing so? Why or why not?
