Answer:
A type of a particular bacteria capable of surviving and reproducing in a substance with high concentrations of antibiotic is because it has generated resistance to that antibiotic, by random mutations due to natural selection.
Explanation:
Antibiotic resistance is based on the development of mechanisms in the bacteria that prevent the drug from having an effect on them. Random mutations occur in bacteria, due to the process of natural selection, which allow them to develop resistance over time, which is transmitted to subsequent generations of bacteria.
Natural selection is based on three fundamental premises:
- The trait must be inheritable.
- There are variations in the trait in the members of a population.
- The variability of a trait implies the survival and ability to reproduce.
In bacteria, natural selection can be observed relatively quickly, due to its speed of reproduction and ability to support adaptive mutations.
In this case, some bacteria could be affected by the antibiotic, but the survivors generated resistance and transmitted that resistance to the following generations.
