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In many ways, the most fascinating feature of bacteria is their ability to resist the onslaught of antibiotics through natural selection. Generally, the two characteristics that most help bacteria render antibiotics futile are the resistance genes in a few bacterial cells, and exposure to antibiotics. When an antibiotic for a particular strain of bacteria is created and administered, it kills every cell vulnerable to the drug. However, some bacterial cells survive due to genetic mutations or because they possess protective genes obtained from other bacteria. Due to exposure to the antibiotic, most of the surviving cells' natural competitors for nutrients and space (the bacteria susceptible to the drug) are eradicated, allowing the resistant cells to flourish and multiply. The antibiotic is now completely useless against this new strain of bacteria. Also, the more the population of resistant bacteria grows and spreads, the more likely resistance genes are developed in all...

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