Question

All the following statements regarding antibiotic resistance are true EXCEPT:

a. only Gram negative bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance.
b. it may be caused by a simple point mutation in the bacterium's genome.
c. the genetic information may be contained on a plasmid.
d. it may be due to decreased permeability to an antibiotic.
e. it may be due to enzymes that degrade some antibiotics.

Answer 1

Statement (a) is false as antibiotic resistance can occur in both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria through various mechanisms such as enzyme production, target modification, decreased permeability, efflux pumps, and plasmid-contained genetic information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement 'only Gram negative bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance' is not true because antibiotic resistance is a phenomenon that can occur in both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Bacteria can develop resistance through several methods:

• Production of enzymes like β-lactamase that degrade antibiotics.
• Target modification or mutagenesis which changes the antibiotic's binding site such as ribosomal mutations.
• Decreased permeability to prevent antibiotic entry.
• Efflux pumps that remove antibiotics from the cell.
• Genetic information for resistance may be present on plasmids which can be transferred between bacteria.

Thus, the correct answer is that all statements regarding antibiotic resistance are true except for (a), as both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria can develop resistance.