TEACHER GUIDE
4
ANSWERS TO RISE OF THE SUPERBUGS STUDENT SHEET
1. (a) What might explain why Eva’s infection is not
responding to treatment by antibiotics?
Some bacteria may be resistant to the antibiotics.
(b) What information about the infection would
you want in order to fi nd a way to treat it?
It would be good to understand what kinds of
bacteria are present and whether they are resistant
to antibiotics.
3. Explain how the graphs in Figures 1–3 describe
the bacterial growth over the 24 hours.
No antibiotics: The number of bacteria increases
quickly.
Antibiotics and susceptible bacteria: The number
of bacteria declines quickly as the antibiotic kills them.
Antibiotics and some resistant bacteria: First,
the number of bacteria falls as the antibiotic kills
the susceptible bacteria. Then, because the resistant
bacteria have been reproducing, a point is reached
where the number of susceptible bacteria being killed
equals the increase of the resistant ones. As the
population of resistant bacteria continues to grow,
the curve stops dropping and begins to rise.
4. How will Dr. Hincapie use the three standard
graphs?
These standard graphs show the pattern of growth
in bacteria whose resistance to antibiotics is already
known. Knowing these growth patterns, he can
analyze the growth patterns from Eva’s bacteria in
order to identify antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-
susceptible bacteria.
5. Were antibiotic-resistant bacteria present in the
tissue samples taken when Eva fi rst arrived at the
hospital on Monday? (Figure 4) How can you tell?
Yes. The slight rise starting around hour 12 shows
that there were a small number of bacteria resistant
to Antibiotic D in the population of Eva’s bacteria
when she fi rst arrived.
6. By Saturday, which antibiotics were the bacteria
resistant to?
Antibiotics A, C, and D.
7. At what point did the population of bacteria show
resistance to:
Antibiotic A – When Eva was at the hospital on
Monday afternoon, she picked up some bacteria
resistant to Antibiotic A. By taking the leftover
antibiotics on Tuesday morning, she killed most of the
bacteria susceptible to Antibiotic A, allowing those
resistant to it to fl ourish. The population of resistant
bacteria increased dramatically over the week.
Antibiotic B – No bacteria were resistant.
Antibiotic C – When she returned to the hospital
on Thursday evening.
Antibiotic D – Eva had some bacteria resistant
to Antibiotic D even before her accident.
8. Explain the difference in the growth rates of
bacteria grown in the presence of Antibiotic A
on Monday versus on Tuesday.
Eva had no bacteria resistant to Antibiotic A on
Monday afternoon. (Figure 4) Yet, after her visit to
the hospital, Eva had acquired some bacteria resistant
to Antibiotic A. Figure 5 shows the population of
bacteria decreasing at fi rst as the susceptible bacteria
die, but then grows as the resistant bacteria increase in
number. On Tuesday morning, Eva took some leftover
Antibiotic A. Figure 6 shows that, by Tuesday, all
the surviving bacteria are resistant to Antibiotic A.
(Figures 7 and 8)
9. Explain the difference in growth rate of the
bacteria resistant to Antibiotic C from Thursday
to Saturday.
As of Tuesday, Eva has no bacteria resistant to
Antibiotic C. However, Figure 7 shows that on
Thursday, there are a few bacteria resistant to
Antibiotic C—Eva must have picked some up when
she visited the hospital on Tuesday. Figure 7 shows
the population decreasing until hour 20, indicating
that most bacteria are still susceptible to Antibiotic
C. However, Figure 8 shows that by Saturday the
proportion of Antibiotic C-resistant bacteria has
increased. Since Thursday evening, Antibiotic C
has killed most susceptible bacteria. Figure 8 shows
the bacterial population decreasing at fi rst,
as the remaining susceptible bacteria are killed.
Then the number of Antibiotic C-resistant bacteria
increases rapidly.
10. How is the growth of the bacteria resistant to
Antibiotics A, C, and D an example of natural
selection?
Environmental conditions determine which individuals
in a population are the fi ttest. In this case, the
environment favored bacteria that were resistant
to Antibiotics A, C, and D; all others were killed.
Since only resistant bacteria continued to breed,
soon the entire population derived from these initial
bacteria and were resistant. Thus, the environment
selected for resistant bacteria, illustrating the process
of natural selection.
11. What advice about the next antibiotic to try
can Dr. Hincapie give to Eva’s doctors based
on these results?
Treat Eva with Antibiotic B.