Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites to resist the effects of medications that once killed them or stopped their growth. This makes common infections more difficult to treat, leading to longer illnesses, higher medical costs, and an increased risk of death. AMR can develop due to the overuse or misuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents in human medicine and agriculture, allowing microorganisms to evolve and survive. Understanding AMR is important in GCSE Biology because it shows why antibiotics must be used carefully and why new treatments are needed to fight resistant microbes.
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