Question

What is the difference between a bacterial strain that is resistant to penicillin and one that is sensitive to penicillin? What, specifically, causes the resistant bacterial strain to not be affected by the penicillin?

Answer 1

The bacterial strain that is resistant to penicillin will be able to grow even in the presence of penicillin but the one that is sensitive towards it will be killed on its exposure.

Mutation is the factor which causes the resistant bacterial strain to not be affected by penicillin. Due to mutation in the gene for initially governing sensitivity, the bacteria is not sensitive anymore and has acquired the resistant genes against penicillin.

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