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Staph infections can be very dangerous, especially ones caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is problematic because it is not sensitive to the antibiotic methicillin, which is commonly used to treat staph infections. Which of the following statements best describes why MRSA is able to continue to multiply and spread in the presence of methicillin? *
Antibiotics evolve every generation and eventually become ineffective.
The genes that carry resistance in MRSA are continuously passed on to the next generation.
MRSA has the ability to reproduce at a much faster rate in the presence of methicillin. Methicillin is able to pass a gene to MRSA that enables it to carry resistance to the next generation.
The best statement that describes why MRSA is able to continue to multiply and spread in the presence of methicillin is: "The genes that carry resistance in MRSA are continuously passed on to the next generation."
To explain why this is the case, we need to understand the concept of antibiotic resistance. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, some may have genetic mutations or acquire new genes that make them resistant to the antibiotic's effects. These resistant bacteria then have a survival advantage and can continue to multiply and spread in the presence of the antibiotic.
In the case of MRSA, the resistance gene is passed on through horizontal gene transfer. This means that the resistance gene can be transferred between different bacteria, allowing the resistance trait to spread rapidly. MRSA has acquired a gene that enables it to be resistant to methicillin, so it can continue to multiply and spread even when methicillin is used to treat the infection.
It is important to note that the other options are not accurate explanations for MRSA's ability to multiply and spread in the presence of methicillin. Antibiotics do not evolve every generation, and even if they did, it would not automatically make them ineffective against MRSA. Also, the ability of MRSA to reproduce at a faster rate in the presence of methicillin is not the primary reason for its resistance. The key factor is the presence and transmission of the resistance gene.