Question

What is the author’s purpose for including the explanation in paragraph 6?

A. To illustrate that some resistance genes may occur naturally
B. To show that antibiotics are needlessly prescribed for nonbacterial infections
C. To highlight that gut bacteria can fight off infections just as well as antibiotics
D. To emphasize that people have overcome infections for millions of years without antibiotics

Answer 1

The author's purpose for including the explanation in paragraph 6 is to emphasize that people have overcome infections for millions of years without antibiotics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The author includes the explanation in paragraph 6 to emphasize that people have overcome infections for millions of years without antibiotics. The paragraph explains that the variation that natural selection acts on is already present in a population and does not arise in response to an environmental change. It uses the example of applying antibiotics to a population of bacteria to show that resistance to antibiotics was already present in the gene pool of the bacteria, and the antibiotic simply selects for individuals that are resistant.