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Bacteria containing a plasmid coding for kanamycin antibiotic resistance was grown on an antibiotic free medium. What would happen to the bacterium regarding its antibiotic resistance? Would the plasmid be maintained? Why/why not?

Solution

The bacteria has the plasmid that can code for the antibiotic resistance, which means it can grow on the media with the antibiotic also. But when it is allowed to grow on an antibiotic-free medium, the bacterium will slowly loose its resistance and there will be no plasmid coding for the kanamycin resistance. No, the plasmid will not be maintained because slowly the bacteria will lose its plasmid because if a plasmid does not get copied it gets diluted in the growing cells which happen because it couldn\'t be transferred to the daughter cells.