Explain why the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is considered a serious public health concern.

WJEC GCSE Biology (Wales) — 2.8 Disease, defence and treatment · Explain · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change so that antibiotics no longer kill them. The number of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria is increasing worldwide.

Model answer (4 marks)

1. Resistant bacteria survive antibiotic treatment.
2. They reproduce and pass on resistance, spreading resistant strains.
3. Infections caused by these strains become harder or impossible to treat.
4. This can lead to higher mortality and severe illness due to lack of effective treatments.

Examiner tips

  • Use the exact wording from the mark scheme, e.g. "survive treatment", "reproduce and pass on resistance", "more difficult / impossible to treat", "increased deaths / serious illness".
  • Structure answer in numbered points to match the four marks.
  • Include the causal link: resistance → survival → spread → treatment failure → health impact.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing up resistance with antibiotic misuse; not linking survival to spread.
  • Using vague terms like "harder to treat" without mentioning spread or mortality.
  • Failing to mention the public health impact (deaths/serious illness).

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Resistant bacteria survive treatment with antibiotics
  2. Resistant bacteria reproduce and pass on resistance, so resistant strains spread
  3. Bacterial infections caused by resistant strains become more difficult / impossible to treat
  4. This could lead to increased deaths / serious illness because there are no effective treatments

Key terms in this question

antibiotic · bacteria · public health

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