how does the growth of antibiotic resistance in bacteria support the theory of evolution by natural selecion?

Answer 1

I don't think it does.

Even the somewhat beneficial mutations they point to like antibiotic resistance in bacteria are always a rearrangement or loss of information, never a gain.

For instance, a mutation that causes the pumps in its cell membrane not to work in a certain way so it doesn’t suck in the antibiotics we try to kill it with. You see, it is resistant because of a loss of an ability. Another mutation might change a binding site used by the antibiotic within the bacteria, rendering it unable to kill the bacteria. In no known case is antibiotic resistance the result of new genetic information.

Sickle-cell anemia is often used as an example to support evolution, but the mutation causes a loss of normal function with no new ability or information.

Wingless beetles on a windy island and blind cave fish may have a survival advantage, but it comes from a loss of information.

This kind of stuff is used as evidence for evolution, but in every mutation (even the beneficial ones), this seems to always be the case. As Dr. Michael Behe (who has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry) said, “...most evolutionary changes are ones which either break or degrade genes—and these are the helpful mutations! But you can’t build new molecular machinery by breaking genes.”

Evolution requires new creative information, not a loss of information.

Answer 2

The bacteria that survive the antibiotic live and reproduce to eventually cause the group to be antibiotic resistant.

Answer 3

resistance is conferred by random mutations introduced into the bacterial genome, followed by "selection" to favor survival of those bacteria that obtain favorable mutations.

think about this: imagine that a mutation occurs in a gene that codes for Iron binding in bacteria. If the mutation results in a slightly structural change of the encoded protein such it binds Iron "more" tightly.. bacteria that have that very specific mutation are more apt to survive and propagate their DNA to future generations. These subtle changes are "selected" for in terms of evolution because they increase chances for survival. Slow, progressive changes are the foundation for evolution; natural selection guides this process because beneficial mutations have a way of getting fixed into the gene species gene pool.

Answer 4

Bacteria reproduce. Antibiotics disrupt reproduction, growth of bacteria. Those bacteria that happen to have resistance will prosper.

Answer 5

I would like to point out to the cut and paster above that his argument is a tired one. Behe has published exactly one paper on evolutionary theory, which was widely discredited.

In other words, what we have here is a crackpot citing a crackpot.

Answer 6

Instead of me going off on a tangent, go here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/11/2/quicktime/e_s_6.html