Asked by fernanda

Which type of bacteria have the greatest fittness?


A. Bacteria that become antibiotic resistant and are able to reproduce


B. Bacteria that are killed off by antibiotics

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A. Bacteria that become antibiotic resistant and are able to reproduce.

Reason: "Fitness" means reproductive success in a given environment. When antibiotics are present, resistant bacteria survive and reproduce while susceptible ones are killed, so resistant bacteria have higher fitness. (Note: in an antibiotic-free environment some resistance mutations can carry a cost, so susceptible strains may sometimes be more fit there.)