Is bacterial resistance really due to mutation?

With your thread, I think it should be pointed out that much the same happens with viruses except that viruses may have inherited the resistance to natural drugs, such as penicillin. With bacteria, either they do or don't have it (due to the way they reproduce) and the ones that do survive do so because they have inherited it. Many of the experiments done by scientists to show how mutations can add info have been extremely controversial.

With your thread, I think it should be pointed out that much the same happens with viruses except that viruses have inherited the resistance to natural drugs, an example being when scientists used penicillin(?) on an 18th or 19th century sample of the flu virus I think. With bacteria, either are resistant or they're not, and they're offspring will very likely have it (and due to the way they reproduce, only a mutation coiuld remove it). The ones that do survive do so because they have inherited the resistance. Many of the experiments done by scientists to show how mutations can add info have been extremely controversial.This message has been edited by christ_fanatic, 09-16-2005 07:06 AM

I've been given penicillin for a viral infection before (don't ask me why, ask the doc who gave it to me). There was an experiment with the flu(? It may have been a bacterial infection not a virus) virus that was extracted from a ship that was ravaged by a disease while it was headed toward the antarctic. The disease killed everyone (no known survivors at least). When it was extracted, the scientists compared it's reaction to antibioitics with the reaction of a modern strain of the same disease. In their results, the extracted strain survived, while the modern strain didn't. But they reported their finding's as the other way around, and when they were exposed, they admitted their wrongdoing. A similar experiment is going to be conducted with the 1918 flu strain that will be extracted from some that died in a northern European country (maybe Scandinavian). I found this ref in a paper call "Did God make Patogenic Virses?" at True Origins | alimentacin natural this ref applies to the 1918 bug not the former one, the site was closed down due to financial difficulties.This message has been edited by christ_fanatic, 09-16-2005 01:39 PM

I thought it was reffed in the article. My mistake. I am Yahoo searching to see if I can find anything on either one of the experiments I listed. I will post ASAP.

I have been unable to find any reference to the experiments I mentioned and will retract my statements about them until I have otherwise learned so.

I have been unable to find any reference to the experiments I mentioned and will retract my statements about them until I have otherwise learned so.

No it wasn't. The page I was looking for about the extraction of the 1918 flu was different. It did have some reasearch updates about the flu, but thanks for looking.

No it wasn't. The page I was looking for about the extraction of the 1918 flu was different. It did have some reasearch updates about the flu, but thanks for looking.