Final answer:
The most stress-resistant organism is Deinococcus radiodurans, capable of surviving extreme radiation and desiccation. Other resilient forms include endospore-forming soil bacteria and deep-sea organisms. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become a global problem due to genetic changes and misuse of antibiotics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most stress-resistant form of life is known to be Deinococcus radiodurans, an extremophile that can withstand intense ionizing radiation, extreme desiccation, and other harsh conditions. Other stress-resistant and hard-to-eliminate forms of life include microbes like endospore-forming soil bacteria, which can survive high temperatures and drought, and deep-sea organisms enduring immense pressure at the bottom of ocean trenches. The remarkable resilience of these organisms is due to their unique adaptations, such as protective cell walls in prokaryotes that permit survival in hyper- and hypo-osmotic conditions.
A strain of bacteria that was previously sensitive to an antibiotic can become resistant through genetic mutations or by acquiring resistance genes from other bacteria. This can happen due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, leading to selection pressure that favors resistant bacteria. The problem of antibiotic resistance has escalated into a major global issue because it jeopardizes our ability to treat common infections, leading to increased mortality rates, longer hospital stays, and higher medical costs.