Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance

• Evolution results from selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
• New heritable traits can result from recombinations of existing genes or from genetic mutations in reproductive cells.
• Mutations are random, but selection is not; selection is dependent on many factors.
• Traits that are advantageous often persist in a population.
• Inherited characteristics affect the likelihood of an organism's survival and reproduction.
• Natural selection acts on individuals and populations in a nonrandom way.
• Evolution acts on what exists.
• The proportion of individuals with advantageous characteristics may increase due to their increased likelihood of surviving and reproducing.
• Scientists pose, test, and revise multiple hypotheses to explain what they observe.
• Scientists use only natural causes to explain natural phenomena.
• We can learn about the natural world using our senses and extensions of our senses.
• Scientific ideas are developed through reasoning.
• Science is a human endeavor.
• Scientists use experimental evidence to study evolutionary processes.
• As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life.

• Genetic Variation
• Natural Selection
• Relevance