The dots represent a bacterial infection. Sal was very sick with this bacterial infection. The infection was treated with antibiotics. Sal seemed to get well, but in a few weeks, she was sick again. How can this be explained using natural selection?

Question

The dots represent a bacterial infection. Sal was very sick with this bacterial infection. The infection was treated with antibiotics. Sal seemed to get well, but in a few weeks, she was sick again. How can this be explained using natural selection?

(1 point)

The antibiotics were ineffective to this strain of bacteria.

The stronger, more resistant bacteria survived the antibiotics and reproduced

The antibiotics did not kill the bacteria, it only forced them to be dormant.

Antibiotics will only kill a portion of the bactena, no matter how much medicine Sal takes.

Answer 1

The stronger, more resistant bacteria survived the antibiotics and reproduced. Over time, these resistant bacteria became more prevalent in Sal's body, leading to a recurrence of the infection. This phenomenon can be explained by natural selection, as the bacteria that were able to survive and reproduce in the presence of antibiotics were better adapted to their environment.