AN NAACCR Abbreviation

Antigen

Antibody Generator, When antibiotics are incorrectly used (to treat bacteria that are not sensitive to the specific antibiotic or to treat viruses, which NEVER respond to antibiotics) and are not taken for the full term prescribed (usually from 5 to 21 days, depending on the specific antibiotic and disease being treated), surviving pathogenic organisms develop immunity to the antibiotic and pass it along to descendants and might choose to pass the trait along to unrelated bacteria via a process known ashorizontal gene transfer.