Those bacteria that have ways to protect themselves from antibiotics, what are their mechanisms and how do they work?

Question

Those bacteria that have ways to protect themselves from antibiotics, what are their mechanisms and how do they work?

In: Biology

Answer 1

An antibiotic is like a ne’er-do-well with a copy of a key which, when put in the right lock turns off the cell (or makes it explode). Cells are full of important pieces that can act like this, all needing different keys. Sometimes the cell calls a locksmith and changes the lock–the key no longer fits into it. Sometimes the cell rewires itself so that lock doesn’t do anything anymore and it uses a different mechanism to turn itself on. In some cases the cell may even install something where the lock will spit out the key. As long as it can change *something* about the lock or the mechanisms attached to it it can acquire resistance.