Abstract

An antibiotic is an agent that either kills or inhibits the growth of a

microorganism.
Lederberg's experiment proved evidence that mutations are actually
preadaptive. These kinds of mutations are regarded as advantageous
mutations. They appear without exposure to the environment. Actually,
the preadaptive mutations express themselves only after exposure to
the new environment to which the organisms are to adapt themselves.
The new environment does not include the mutations, it only selects
the preadaptive mutations that occurred earlier.
Antibiotic resistance is a form of drug resistance whereby some sub-
populations of a microorganism, usually a bacterial species, are able to
survive after exposure to one or more antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance–
when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need
them to treat infections–is now a major threat to public health.
Due to the prevalent use of antibiotics, resistant strains of bacteria are
becoming much more difficult to treat. These "super bugs" represent a
threat to public health since they are resistant to most commonly used
antibiotics. Current antibiotics work by disrupting so-called cell viability
processes. Disruption of cell membrane assembly or DNA translation
are common modes of operation for current generation antibiotics.
Bacteria are adapting to these antibiotics making them ineffective
means for treating these types of infection.
 Material Required

1. Sterilized Petri dishes

2. Sterilized culture tubes with media
3. Transfer loops
4. Forceps
5. Flask
6. Beaker
7. Burner
8. Penicillin
9. Aureomycin
10. Hay
11. Alcohol
12. Agar
13. Starch
14. Distilled water
 Procedure

1. Bacteria are grown in the laboratory but plating dilute

suspensions of bacterial cells on semisolid agar plates.
2. After a period of growth, discrete colonies appear on the agar
plates.
3. Inoculate bacteria on an agar plate and obtain a master plate
containing several bacterial colonies.
4. Create several replicas of this master plate by using a sterile
velvet disc.
5. Mount the sterile velvet disc on a wooden block and gently press
on the master plate.
6. Some bacteria from each colony will adhere to the velvet.
7. Press this velvet on to new agar plates.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 by using plates containing an antibiotic such as
penicillin.

Observation

The area around the antibiotic discs in the Petridishes will be clear. In
other areas, colonies of bacteria will be observed. Then examined the
clear area in each Petridishes for few more days. A few very colonies
may appear in the clear areas. These are the colonies of resistant
strains of the bacteria.
 Conclusion

Antibiotic drugs killed most of the bacterial strain, hence the areas
appeared clear. However, a few strains which were resistant in the
bacterial population survived and produced colonies later. This proves
the resistant strain to antibiotics were present in the bacterial
population.

Reference
1. Comprehensive Laboratory Manual In Biology-XII 2. Biology Text For
Class XII – NCERT
2. http://www.wikipedia.org/
3. http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/antibiotic_resistance.htm
4.http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Ant
ibiotic_resistant_bacteria
5. http://www.rxlist.com/antibiotic_resistance-page3/drugs-
condition.htm
 Acknowledgement

I express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Smt. T. Smitha

Vasudevan, M.Sc., M.Ed. and Smt. V.S. Shahanaz, M.Sc., M.Phil., B.Ed.
for their guidance and supervision at all levels of my Project work. They
slowly and convincingly conveyed a spirit of knowledge with regard to
the Biology Project and in its accomplishment. I am indebted to them
for their valuable suggestions and sustained help in completion of my
Project work.

I express my sincere gratitude to Smt. S. Indira, Principal, who provided

me the apparatus in good working condition to accomplish my work in
time.

In addition, I also thank all the teachers and non-teaching staff of this
Vidyalaya and all those who have provided support to me in the
evolution of my Project work.

PROJECT DONE BY:

T. HARSHAVARDHAN