Lesson 4.6.3.7

4.6.3.7 Resistant bacteria Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.6.3.7, Resistant bacteria: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Biology (8461), Unit 6: Inheritance, variation and evolution, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Why are bacteria able to evolve new strains very rapidly?

    • Complex DNA
    • Slow growth rate
    • Fast reproduction rate
    • Multicellular structure

  2. What is produced when a bacterial pathogen undergoes a genetic mutation?

    • New species
    • New strain
    • Antibiotic cure
    • New organelle

  3. Which bacterial strains survive when treated with antibiotics?

    • Resistant strains
    • Viral strains
    • Fungal strains
    • Non-resistant strains

  4. What happens to the population size of a resistant bacterial strain after antibiotic exposure?

    • It stays constant
    • It increases
    • It falls
    • It decreases

  5. Why do antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains spread rapidly through a human population?

    • Lack of nutrients
    • Slower reproduction rate
    • Lack of immunity
    • High body temperature

  6. Which bacterium is named in the specification as resistant to antibiotics?

    • A nitrogen-fixing bacterium
    • An insulin-producing bacterium
    • Baker's yeast
    • MRSA

  7. What does the specification say about the fate of non-resistant bacteria when antibiotics are used?

    • They multiply faster
    • They become resistant
    • They are killed
    • They become immune

  8. What should patients do to help prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

    • Double the dosage
    • Stop treatment early
    • Share leftover pills
    • Complete full course

  9. What type of infection should doctors avoid prescribing antibiotics for?

    • Viral infections
    • Fungal infections
    • Bacterial infections
    • Severe infections

  10. What action regarding antibiotics in agriculture helps reduce the spread of resistance?

    • Restrict their use
    • Ban all vaccines
    • Increase their use
    • Double the dosage

  11. Why is developing new antibiotics alone not enough to solve bacterial resistance?

    • Slow and costly
    • Antibiotics never work
    • Viruses evolve faster
    • Bacteria cannot mutate

  12. Why is prescribing an antibiotic for a common cold considered inappropriate?

    • Cold is viral
    • Cold is bacterial
    • Antibiotics cause colds
    • Cold is incurable

  13. What risk is created if a patient stops taking antibiotics before finishing the course?

    • Immunity increases
    • Antibiotics spoil
    • Viruses multiply
    • Bacteria survive

  14. A bacterial population contains one resistant cell. What happens after applying an antibiotic?

    • Resistant cell reproduces
    • All cells die
    • Non-resistant cells reproduce
    • Resistant cell dies

  15. Which example of an antibiotic-resistant bacterium is specifically named in the AQA specification?

    • MRSA
    • Salmonella
    • TMV
    • HIV

  16. What process leads to the survival of resistant bacteria when antibiotics are used?

    • Selective breeding
    • Artificial selection
    • Active transport
    • Natural selection

  17. Which of the following practices reduces the rate at which resistant bacterial strains develop?

    • Using for flu
    • Overprescribing antibiotics
    • Stopping courses early
    • Restricting farm antibiotics

  18. What causes new strains of bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics initially?

    • Random mutations
    • Vaccination
    • Antibiotic overuse
    • Viral infections

  19. Which action increases the rate at which antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains emerge?

    • Improving hospital hygiene
    • Completing antibiotic courses
    • Restricting farm use
    • Prescribing for viruses

  20. When does a gene mutation causing antibiotic resistance occur in bacteria?

    • Before antibiotic exposure
    • After antibiotic exposure
    • During antibiotic exposure
    • Because of antibiotics

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