ABSTRACT
The resistance to antibiotics is an example of the misuse of a useful group of drugs and the hidden power in the biological system, which is able to cover abnormal situations. The wide distribution of antibiotic resistance among microbes causes serious global health problems. There is a need for a better understanding of antibiotic resistance modes of action and how microbes develop/spread different resistant mechanisms. This could be achieved by understanding the changes that happened after the discovery of the antibiotics, which led to the elevation of antibiotic resistance as a global phenomenon. Microbes are defending themselves spontaneously, and any incorrect use of an antimicrobial drug will stimulate particular protection mechanisms. The newly developed or activated resistant mechanisms will help microbes be dominant in their own ecosystems because other microbes did not have the same opportunity. Before nearly 80 years ago, this phenomenon had not been observed. The microbial variation and diversity (in nature) keep them in balance. This chapter discusses some points that concern the different routes of microbial resistance to antibiotics. It aims to establish a better understanding to enabling further correct steps toward overcoming the antibiotic resistance problem and introducing better strategies for microbial control.
