Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention

On February 27, students read an article, MRSA and The Science Classroom, and answered the questions that go with the article.  The article can be accessed online at:
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=54441
Students also started a hands-on genetics activity where they are creating a karyotype of male and female chromosomes.

MRSA and the Science Classroom Article
Reading Questions

1. Where can “staph” bacteria be found (be detailed and specific)?


2. How are “staph” infections spread?


3. The initials MRSA are shorthand for the name ___________________.


4. Explain how MRSA became resistant to methicillin.


5. How many people died in 2005 because of MRSA infections?


6. Why is MRSA now recognized to be a widespread community health problem?


7. How many student deaths from MRSA occurred in 2007?


8. If MRSA is not identified and treated early, what can happen during the course of the infection?



9. Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) died of MRSA pneumonia. Name an actor who died from a MRSA infection.


10. Draw the shape of Staphylococcus aureus and tell what classification group of bacteria to which it belongs.

More information about antibiotic resistance can be found on my previous post. 
Update in the news: Delaware woman treated for rare antibiotic-resistance infection:
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100415/HEALTH/4150342/1113/Delaware-woman-treated-for-rare-antibiotic-resistant-infection
Posters about MRSA can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/library/posters.html

For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?

 Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Antibiotic Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolutions-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now?  Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html


If you find a link on my blog that does not work, please let my know by leaving a comment.  I would like to keep my blog up-to-date and relevant.

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Antibiotic Resistance

Students participated in an adapted activity found at:
http://www.newtonsapple.tv/TeacherGuide.php?id=1279
then did the following assignment:

If a bacterium can divide and produce 2 bacteria every 20 minutes, how soon will the two initially surviving resistant germs reach a total of one million organisms? 10 million? 100 million? One billion bacteria? Populations of this size, if pathogenic, are more than adequate to cause great harm.

Students then completed a note-taking study guide that is a companion to the following website: http://www.microbeworld.org/what-is-a-microbe
and other websites listed on the study guide.

Delaware woman treated for rare antibiotic-resistant infection
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100415/HEALTH/4150342/1113/Delaware-woman-treated-for-rare-antibiotic-resistant-infection

Students watched Debi's Story about antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, as part of a lesson about why understanding evolution is important now. They also watched a video about diseases.


http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity3_debi-story.htm

http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity1.htm

Students watched a video titled: Why Is Evolution Important Now? This video is available to watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html

Information and visual diagrams that explain how antibiotic resistance develops:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2013/09/16/drug-resistant-superbugs-kill/

Knowledge of evolution assists in choosing the appropriate drugs for treating bacterial infections:
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/09/if-chosen-wisely-existing-drugs-fight-resistant-bugs

New York Times 2013 - What is we can't control infections?:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/29/avoiding-a-time-when-bacteria-can-no-longer-be-stopped

Exposure to antibiotics can not only cause resistance to the antibiotics, it can also cause the mutant bacteria to reproduce faster!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130110927.htm

For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?

 Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now?  Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html

If you find a link on my blog that does not work, please let me know by leaving a comment.  I would like to keep my blog relevant and up-to-date.