Which factor makes bacteria particularly dangerous when they undergo natural selection?

• A. They can rapidly develop resistance to antibiotics.
• B. They become less able to survive in harsh environments.
• C. They stop interacting with other microorganisms.
• D. They lose their ability to reproduce.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of natural selection: it is a process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
2. Recognize that bacteria reproduce rapidly and have high mutation rates, which provide genetic variation for natural selection to act upon.
3. Identify that when exposed to antibiotics, bacteria with mutations that confer resistance are more likely to survive and reproduce.
4. Realize that this leads to a population of bacteria that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.
5. Conclude that the dangerous factor is the bacteria's ability to rapidly develop antibiotic resistance through natural selection.