Page 102 - The Microworld Miracle

How Do Bacteria Defend
Themselves?
How did a microorgan-
ism consisting of only a few

organelles, a cell membrane,
DNA and a ribosome, protect
itself against antibiotics? How
does it determine those ele-
ments that represent a danger
and develop protective meas-
ures against them? It's of course

out of the question to speak of
such an organism's consciousness, ability or comprehension. There
must be a satisfying and rational explanation for the behavior it
manifests in its war against antibiotics. In order to see and appreci-
ate the source of this intelligence let us first examine the nature of
bacteria's resistance to antibiotics.
When an antibiotic enters the body, some species of bacteria
multiply as fast as possible. Those unable to withstand the antibiot-
ic are defeated and die. Those which do exhibit resistance to the an-

tibiotic continue reproducing, and produce new, resistant genera-
tions. Therefore, any antibiotic introduced into the body is usually
THE MICROWORLD MIRACLE even in the presence of the appropriate drug.
insufficient to eliminate them all and is not strong enough to de-
stroy the new, resistant strains. As a result, the disease will persist

A second method employed by bacteria consists of changing
by altering their genetic structure. Having already encountered the

antibiotic, the bacterium knows how the antibiotics will disable it,

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