Prokaryotes, the product of millions of years of evolution, which has undergone

alterations of its own genetic structure and metabolic pathways to accommodate to

an ever changing environment. Prokaryotic cells, also known as bacteria progressed
through each generation attempting to produce near identical daughter cells, only
differing in slight mutations due to natural selection. In recent years Prokaryotes,
otherwise known as bacteria have undergone a decisive changed rendering certain
antibiotics ineffective. Antibiotics are the primary defense against bacteria used
throughout the world by mankind, though due to the emergence of antibiotic
resistance in new strands of bacteria it has begun to pose a greater threat to
humanity. Was the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria the result of extensive
use of antibiotics on agriculture and use on livestock and animals or are they
primarily due to human ignorance and self-medicating? By analyzing scientific
journals published on antibiotic resistance, and viewing the cultural, social and
economic affects that antibiotic-resistance has had on developed nations the
leading cause for antibiotic-resistance will be revealed.
Antibiotics have been used since ancient times, they were accustomed to being
mold that developed on the staple foods such as bread. The Greeks, Romans, and
many other ancient civilizations noted the beneficial properties that accompanied
the use of mold on the sick. While mold has been noted to have antibiotic properties
and had been suggested to be used since the early 17 th century, the term antibiotic
was not coined by Alexander Fleming until the mid-20 th century. The rise of
antibiotics in the 20th century led to mass production of synthetic forms brought
about by advancements in chemistry and biology. The advancements in chemistry
and biology allowed scientists to further understand how to target specific bacteria
or areas of the body. Bacteria is destroyed by antibiotics through multiple methods,
the initial approach is to interfere with prokaryotic cell contents or the cells
membrane. The other method that antibiotics interfere with bacteria is that it
interferes with a bacterias production of proteins and DNA replication. The most
common antibiotics are considered to be effective on a broad spectrum and can
destroy or denature multiple types of bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance is brought about by mutations in prokaryotic cells that allow
them to resist, or eliminates the effects of the drugs used. A single use of an
antibiotic brings about resistance as it removes all the weak or unfit bacteria from
the host. While antibiotics remove the majority of bacteria, the prokaryotes that are
resistant or have a certain mutation which allows them withstand the drug would be
left behind to resume growth.
Therefore, the use of broad spectrum antibiotics on livestock or agriculture poses
significant risks to the spread of resistance towards common drugs that are vital to
the preservation of health amongst a nation. The use of antibiotics possesses many
risks when used on agriculture and livestock due to the massive quantities being
supplied to animals such as chickens being confined to a small room. The
confinement of hundreds of creatures to a small room is a breeding ground for
disease. These factors along with the addition of common drugs used to combat
bacteria such as E. coli often result in the production E. coli strands that can infect
other species, and are resistant to the standard drugs used to treat the bacteria.

Due to bacteria being able to thrive in the conditions of their livestock host and
develop antibiotic resistance, the animals are then consumed allowing the bacteria
to be passed among species, increasing the chances of cross species
contamination. Not only is cross species contamination a possible result from the
cycle created from the handling of livestock, but further mutations of the
prokaryotes may occur resulting in an even stronger bacterial strands. The US
Center for Disease Control estimated that the affects from antibiotic resistance from
livestock resulted in 1,518 deaths and 67,236 days in a hospital, every year, due
to the new strains of bacteria created from antibiotic overuse in animals.