Resistance and stewardship
Tue, Oct 6, 2026 · Week 7 · Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Today's goal: Explain how antibiotic resistance evolves and why stewardship slows it down.
What a finished product looks like
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Before and after: at first most bacteria are killed by the antibiotic and only a few random resistant cells survive; after treatment those survivors multiply, so the population becomes mostly resistant.
Why finishing a course helps: stopping early leaves behind partly treated, mostly resistant survivors, which speeds resistance; finishing kills more of them.
Zone-data connection: Antibiotic B had the smallest zone (9 mm), so resistance would make it useless first since it was already the weakest.
Two stewardship actions: (1) prescribe antibiotics only for confirmed bacterial infections, to cut selection pressure; (2) use narrow-spectrum drugs when possible, to spare other bacteria.
Connection to Monday's debate: the biology shows why my stewardship rule matters: overuse literally breeds the resistance we argued about.
Also due today: Bring to Friday's report writing session; photograph for portfolio.
WebXam problem for today's skill
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.