Correct option is A
The correct answer is: (1) A, B and E only
Explanation:
Statement A is correct. Enzymes that break down the antibiotic, such as beta-lactamases, help bacteria degrade or inactivate the antibiotic, rendering it ineffective.
Statement B is correct. Efflux pumps in bacteria actively pump out antibiotics from the cell, reducing the concentration of the antibiotic within the bacterial cell, which helps the bacteria evade the antibiotic’s effect.
Statement E is correct. Cell wall modification is an important mechanism of resistance in bacteria, where alterations in the cell wall structure prevent antibiotics like beta-lactams from binding to their target, rendering them ineffective.
However, the following statements are not correct:
Statement C is incorrect. CRISPR-mediated defense primarily functions as an adaptive immune system in bacteria, protecting them from viral infections, not directly from antibiotics. It is not generally responsible for antibiotic resistance.
Statement D is incorrect. Antitoxins do not typically function in bacterial resistance to antibiotics. They are more involved in neutralizing toxins, not antibiotics.
Information Booster:
Enzymes that break down antibiotics (e.g., beta-lactamases) are produced by bacteria to degrade antibiotics like penicillins.
Efflux pumps are critical in antibiotic resistance, actively pumping antibiotics out of bacterial cells to avoid their toxic effects.
Cell wall modification is a common resistance mechanism, preventing antibiotics that target the cell wall (like penicillin) from being effective.
CRISPR systems are primarily involved in defense against viruses and not directly in antibiotic resistance.
Antitoxins do not play a role in conferring resistance to antibiotics; they are involved in neutralizing toxins rather than antibiotics.
