ملف:How do different antibiotics work?.png

English: "Antibiotics target different pathways, and bacteria can become resistant in different ways

In their natural environments, bacteria compete for resources like nutrients and space. Some bacteria produce antibiotics to suppress or kill competitors, giving them an advantage. They can target specific processes in bacterial cells that are critical for growth, reproduction, and stability, as the diagram … shows."

"Unfortunately, bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics. For example, they can produce enzymes called “beta-lactamases” that break down beta-lactam antibiotics. Bacteria can also produce proteins that pump tetracycline antibiotics out of their cells.

These mechanisms tend to evolve within individuals (between days to months) but take longer to spread across populations (between weeks to years).

They allow bacteria to adapt to new antibiotics and share resistance mechanisms, including between different species.

Resistance mechanisms can come with costs: for example, producing enzymes like beta-lactamase or maintaining protein pumps can use up energy or resources, slowing bacterial growth.

However, in the presence of antibiotics, the survival advantage can outweigh the trade-offs, allowing resistant bacteria to dominate over time."