What is the general term for the development of non-susceptibility to antibiotics due to misuse?

• A. Resistance
• B. Tolerance
• C. Synergism
• D. Antagonism

Answer: (A)

Resistance is the general term for the development of non-susceptibility to antibiotics due to misuse. When antibiotics are used inappropriately—such as finishing a course too early, using them for viral infections, or dosing suboptimally—bacteria that have or acquire mechanisms to withstand the drug survive. Those survivors reproduce and can pass resistance genes to their offspring or to other bacteria, spreading this trait through the population. Over time, this selection pressure leads to infections that no longer respond to standard antibiotics, making treatment more difficult. Tolerance describes bacteria that survive exposure for longer without true genetic resistance, so they can be killed with higher doses or longer therapy, but resistance is about heritable non-susceptibility. Synergism and antagonism refer to how two drugs interact with each other, not the emergence of resistance.