BRAINCAKEModern Examples of Natural Selection
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
MRSA (Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) has developed resistance to many antibiotics.
The gene for the enzyme β-lactamase is on a plasmid. When bacteria replicate, the plasmid is replicated and the gene is passed on.
When certain antibiotics are used, bacteria with the gene will survive while other non-resistant bacteria are killed.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- plasmid
- A small, circular loop of DNA, separate from the main chromosome, found in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells.
- gene
- A length of DNA that codes for a specific polypeptide.
More in Classification and Evolution
- Student T-test
- Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient
- Adaptations
- Anatomical Adaptations
- Courtship Behaviour
- Physiological Adaptations
- Convergent Evolution
- Natural Selection
All 36 lessons in Classification and Evolution · All OCR AS-level Biology topics