We have evidence to support the claim that the trait of antibiotic resistance has increased in many species of bacteria since penicillin became the first commercially available antibiotic in the 1940's. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission, a form of asexual reproduction (meaning one cell reproduces identical copies of itself). All bacterial populations have the potential to undergo changes in traits; creating populations of bacteria that have a large variation in traits. Identify TWO processes that contribute to variation of traits in an actively reproducing population of bacteria. Be sure to discuss each of the following in your response:
-the relationship between nucleic acids, proteins, and traits (gene expression)
-the regulation of gene expression (methylation, acetylation, regulatory genes/proteins)
-specialization and differentiation of cells (as the result of regulated gene expression)