Resistance against resistance Antibiotic resistance occurs when some antibiotics lose their ability to inactivate harmful pathogens. When bacteria become resistant to antibiotics they continue to grow and multiply without the antibiotics having any effect on them. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are called superbugs because they are very difficult to destroy inside the body. Antibiotic resistance can be caused by many things. The most common way for bacteria to develop a defense against antibiotics is by mutation. Mutation of a bacterium occurs when the composition of the bacterium's DNA is altered, this in turn will change the shape of a bacterium's antigen. Antibiotics will therefore not be able to inactivate the bacterium since they do not recognize it. One of the most common reasons the bacteria mutates is because many people don't finish their course of antibiotics. This is because they feel better and stop taking the antibiotics, which means that the bacteria is exposed to the antibiotics only enough to develop not enough resistance to render them inactive. The bacteria can also release special enzymes that are sent to attack antibiotics. By doing this the enzymes phagocytose the antibiotics which make the bacterium resistant to treatment. Another way the bacterium can develop resistance is by changing the permeability of the cell membrane. In this way the bacterium limits the amount of access points inside it. In this way the antibiotics will struggle to penetrate the bacterium, making it more resistant. Improper or excessive use of antibiotics plays a key role in explaining why bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. With antibiotics readily available nowadays people …… middle of paper … fewer bacteria will become resistant as the right antibiotics are prescribed. The government must control and monitor what happens regarding the dispensing of antibiotics to ensure that doctors do their jobs correctly. Doctors should only prescribe antibiotics for life-threatening illnesses, not the common cold. This will reduce the requirement for antibiotics and therefore there will be less chance of the bacterium mutating. Doctors and governments can also work together to create awareness about what is happening regarding antibiotic resistance. This in turn will make communities in South Africa more aware of the use of antibiotics. Thorough research should be conducted when doctors test new antibiotics. Doctors should look beyond patients' health but also the possible effects on the environment and future use of the antibiotic.