bacteria develop antibiotic bilge pumps

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An example of metaphor in popular science writing:

"For instance, they [bacteria] can change their surface so the antibiotic can no longer get inside the bacterium, or develop antibiotic bilge pumps that prevent the drug from building up. Alternatively they may create new metabolic pathways that mean they can bypass the antibiotic's roadblock."

Catherine Carver

Carver, C. (2017). Immune. How your body defends and protects you. Bloomsbury Sigma. (Read about this book: 'Disease and immunity – a biological myth')

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index