Question

How does evolution apply to the utilization of insecticides and antibiotics?

Answer 1

Evolution is change within the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes that are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction.

Complete answer:
The bacteria lose genetic material so as not to be suffering from the antibiotics. The Beak of the Finch page 260-262. This is an example of adaptive evolution. Another example is that the blind fish of Death Valley . The fish have lost the genetic information for creating eye tissue.

This is a counterexample for Neo Darwinian evolution. The loss of data isn't an example of Neo Darwinian evolution. Neo Darwinian evolution implies and requires a rise in information.The development of antibiotic resistance is the result of an adaptation caused by the loss of genetic information. This is often a kind of evolution but not Neo Darwinian evolution.

Insecticides and antibiotics act respectively on populations of insects and bacteria to see growth in number. Both are harmful chemicals and are ready to kill living organisms. Application of both the chemicals, often ill-advised, has prompted evolution of resistant organisms.

Therefore, an insecticide kills most of the insect pests when introduced within the field but some insects will certainly escape death after an exposure. Such insects are naturally immune to the actual chemical insecticide. Hence in an artificially created environmental situation, the resistant ones become more successful: might be described as survival of the fittest.

Now because the population dwindles, i.e. in absence of most insect competitors, the population of resistant organisms will flourish. Eventually the insecticide will fail to kill most insects as their population becomes resistant.

Note: Antibiotic resistance may be a consequence of evolution via survival . The antibiotic action is an environmental pressure; those bacteria which have a mutation allowing them to survive will survive to breed . they're going to then pass this trait to their offspring, which can be a totally resistant generation.