SESSION 5:How Did Humans Evolve? Is Evolution Still Happening?
Elaborate Part C: Antibiotics and Drug-Resistant Microbes
Cultural adaptations of humans can far outpace their genetic changes. But microbes are a significant challenge for humans. Explore the Microbe Clock Web activity and consider:
What is the significance of the rate of mutation in microbes versus humans for natural selection?
Use and misuse of antibiotics has spurred the evolution of drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, gonorrhea, and other infectious diseases. Watch the Video for Students: "Why Does Evolution Matter Now?" and then explore the Web roundtable, The Evolving Enemy, to learn what we can do to reduce antibiotic resistance.
Scientists are using evolutionary concepts to explain why some viruses and bacteria are highly virulent while others live in their hosts with few if any ill effects. Watch the Evolution Show Four video segments "Cholera: Domesticating Disease" and "Double Immunity."
