The Discussion Board (DB) is part of the core of online learning. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires the active participation of students and the instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Every student is expected to create an original response to the open-ended DB question as well as engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the week. At the end of each unit, DB participation will be assessed based on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.

At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the weekly dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Wednesday of each week. Two additional responses are required after Wednesday of each week. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.

The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each unit.

For many years, antibiotics have been effectively used to treat bacterial disease; and pesticides have been used to protect our agricultural crops from many kinds of pests, including insects, worms (nematodes), fungi, or agricultural weeds, for example.

A growing concern for treating bacterial diseases or pest outbreaks is the evolution of antibiotic or pesticide resistance by bacterial or pest populations. Resistance means that a particular antibiotic is no longer effective in treating a disease, or that a particular pesticide will no longer prevent crop damage. This resistance can be viewed as evolution of a new trait at the population level, which is resistance to an antibiotic or to a pesticide. In this assignment, you will explore specific examples of antibiotic or pesticide resistance.

Assignment details:

After reading materials about evolution and about antibiotic and pesticide resistance in the text, the Course Materials, the AIU Online Library and / or the Internet, answer the following.

1. Select and describe one example of antibiotic resistance orpesticide resistance. Be specific in your choice.
   • Describe the background for your choice of resistance. Include details about the disease or pest and the established control strategies. How have we used antibiotics (to treat a particular disease), or pesticides (to protect from a pest); and how has this changed?
2. Explain how the resistant trait evolved based on principles of natural selection and evolution of a trait at the population level.
3. For your specific example, what are the consequences of resistance in terms of human health or crop loss / damage?
4. What steps can be taken to prevent or slow down the evolution of antibiotic or pesticide resistance? Do you think we will succeed in doing so? Why or why not?

Provide references in APA format. This includes a reference list and in-text citations for references used throughout the assignment.

In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on two other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials. Please refer to the following.

External Web links:

• Unit 4: Understanding Evolution
• Unit 4: Observed Instance of Speciation
• Unit 4: University of California Museum of Paleontology

• Identify the relationship between reproduction, heredity and DNA
• Understand Human Organ functions
• Describe the relationship between chemistry and the characteristics of living things.