A new variation of the bacterial Penicillinase enzyme that binds Methocillin under conditions that select for Methocillin resistance is “DARWINIAN EVOLUTION” in that it exhibits precisely his theory....
Evolution through natural selection of genetic variation. In this case a “descent with modification” that is a useful modification that is a “gain” of information - the information on how to ‘disarm’ Methocillin.
It is “DARWINIAN EVOLUTION” every time new variation arises that is subject to selective pressure.
Sorry, much as I like to agree, I cannot.
Why? because the resistance IS ALREADY PRESENT in a small number of the bacteria except for the occasional point mutation.
The nonresistant bacteria die, while the resistant bacteria survive and begin to multiply just about the time a patient thinks he is getting better.
Maybe this has happened to you or someone you know. Your doctor does another culture and sensitivity test, discovers that you are now infected with a resistant strain of the same bacteria, and orders a new antibiotic. This time, if there are no bacteria carrying a gene for resistance, you get better. You were lucky; many people die from hospital-acquired infections—over 300,000/year. Some had other problems, which made them more susceptible to deadly infections, but many of these people had a NORMAL immune system.
Resistance to an antibiotic develops in several ways, all of which relate to the bacteria’s gene pool, which is the sum total of genetic material available to a specific strain or species of bacteria. Resistance does not come about by haphazard mutations developing genetic material to code for one or another means of resistance, but from genetic material THAT HAS ALWAYS EXISTED in the bacteria’s gene pool.
I’ll cut and paste some relevant quotes from textbooks (with my emphasis in CAPS).
From a reference text, Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, p. 219, 1990, Drs. Kenneth Mayer, Steven Opal, and Antone Medeiros write:
“Genetic variability is essential in order for microbial evolution to occur. Antimicrobial agents exert strong selective pressures upon bacterial populations and favor those organisms that are capable of resisting them, Genetic variability may occur by A VARIETY OF MECHANISMS. A Point mutation may occur at a nucleotide base pair, a process referred to as microevolutionary change. Point mutations may alter the target site of an antimicrobial agent, thereby interfering with its activity.”
The authors are careful not to state that new genetic material evolves. They do say that some individuals in a bacterial population are already “capable of resisting.”
Science News, Januaey 16,1993 makes the following observation:
” The oldest examples ever found of microorganisms, preserved in detail in amber, are virtually identical with modern species, these organisms have remained in a state of evolutionary suspended animation since the dawn of the age of the dinosaurs. This phenomenon is termed morphological stasis”
This morphological stasis is true for dozens of living organisms that once had the honor of being identified as index fossils, such as the tuatara, the coelacanth, and the sea snail Neopilina galatheae.
If anything, one should realize that antibiotic resistance emerging in non-resistant bacteria is probably an inappropriate example for Darwinian evolutionists to cite as evidence for evolution.
There is no scientific evidence to show that resistance, regardless of how it is acquired, is the kind of activity that would eventually give rise to a whole new organism.
Evolutionists may assume that, given enough time, a series of mutations honed by natural selection would produce a new organism. It may be logical, but I’d like to see more scientific proof before jumping on the bandwagon.
The long time required for such change would make observation almost impossible.