Antibiotic resistance can occur through several mechanisms:
1. Enzymatic inhibition - bacteria produce enzymes that can degrade antibiotics such as beta-lactamases which break down beta-lactam antibiotics.
2. Alteration of bacterial membranes - changes to outer membrane permeability or efflux pumps can reduce antibiotic uptake or increase antibiotic export from bacteria.
3. Modification of antibiotic target sites - mutations may alter the binding sites of antibiotics, such as changes to ribosomal sites reducing aminoglycoside and macrolide effectiveness.