earticle

영어

Antibiotics primarily inhibit the growth of prokaryotic cells. The theory of Endosymbiosis states that eukaryotic chloroplasts and mitochondria originate from the prokaryotes, and recent oncologist research reveals that antibiotics can directly exert influence on eukaryotic mitochondria. Similarly, this research probes at the possibility of antibiotics specifically targeting eukaryotic chloroplasts of green alga, Chlorella vulgaris, in an attempt to configure the mechanism through which antibiotics often affect algae. The other half of the research explores the residual environmental risks associated with the presence of antibiotics in freshwater ecosystems, and if antibiotics can possibly be a direct cause of algal blooms. Well over half of the antibiotics, not metabolized and culled out by the sewage plant, end up near the top of the water column: consequently, algae on the surface water are exposed to these antibiotics. Excessive algal growths deplete dissolved oxygen (DO) level and compromise water quality; specifically one of their types, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are disastrous to the aquatic biota. Many obvious and common factors – excessive nutrients and lack of water circulation - are known to encourage these algal blooms. However, as antibiotics in low dosage can stimulate bacterial resistance and encourage growth, the experiments showed that antibiotics could foster algal growth and be a cause of algal blooms.