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Antibiotics do not work on viruses because viruses are not alive. A bacterium is a living, reproducing lifeform. A virus is just a piece of DNA (or RNA). A virus injects its DNA into a living cell and has that cell reproduce more of the viral DNA. With a virus there is nothing to "kill," so antibiotics don't work on it.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoAntibiotics are designed to target or attack parts of a bacterial cell, like the cell wall, or enzymes contained inside the cell; viruses do not contain the same cell pieces, or machinery, so antibiotics cannot attack them. Antivirals are a class of drugs designed to attack virus parts.
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What are Pathogens that cannot be treated by antibiotics?
Antibiotics will not work in viruses.
How do diseases caused by bacteria and diseases caused by viruses react to antibiotics?
Disease caused by viruses cannot be cured by antibiotics. Antibiotics ONLY work on bacteria.
Why do orgamisms produce antibiotics?
so they dont get effected by the bacteria, viruses, or inflvenwanza
Why don't anitibiotics work on virus?
Antibiotics do not work on viruses because viruses are not cells which can take in and out or be infected by specific processes.
Do antibiotics kills viruses?
No, antibiotics DO NOT kill viruses.
How do disease caused by bacteria and diseases caused by viruses by react to antibiotics?
Viruses ALL ignore antibiotics, Bacterial infections vary in their response depending on the sensitivity of the bacteria to the specific antibiotic.
Do antibiotics work better to treat bacteria or virus?
they don't work at all on viruses
What happens to viruses when you take antibiotics?
Viruses are Not killed with antibiotics need antivirus antibiotics
Why can't viruses be treated with antibioticts?
Antibiotics work in ways that would not effect a virus. For example some antibiotics work on the cell wall of the organism. Others block protein synthesis by binding ribosomes. Viruses are merely nucleic acid (RNA and or DNA) and protein. That means antibiotics are ineffective on viruses.
Why are antibiotics not given unless a serious infection?
Bacteria can become immune to antibiotics and the antibiotics will not work in the future when you need them. They only work against bacteria and cold and flu are caused by viruses.
Why can't antibiotics be used against viruses?
Because viruses are not bacteria. Antibiotics only work on bacteria. (Viruses are not actually alive . . . they enter a bacterium and take control of its function.)
Illness not affected by antibiotics?
Viruses run their course and antibiotics are not prescribed for them. Antibiotics work against bacterial illnesses. So, if you have a cold (virus), but get pneumonia (bacterial) you can take antibiotics to get better.
