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Antibiotics target specific bacterial structures or functions that are not present in human cells. For example, many antibiotics inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis, disrupt protein synthesis by binding to bacterial ribosomes, or interfere with bacterial DNA replication. Since human cells lack these unique features, antibiotics can effectively kill bacteria while leaving human cells unharmed. This selective targeting is crucial for their therapeutic effectiveness.
What else can I help you with?
How do antibiotics work to target bacteria without causing harm to the surrounding human cells?
Antibiotics work by targeting specific structures or processes in bacteria that are essential for their survival, such as cell wall formation or protein synthesis. These structures or processes are not present in human cells, so the antibiotics are able to selectively kill the bacteria without harming human cells.
What is the biggest challenge in developing a new antibiotic?
Killing the bacteria without harming the patient. Their cells are relatively similar so it can be difficult to target bacteria. Antibiotics also often have adverse side effects.
Most antibiotics kill invading bacteria while minimally harming the host by?
targeting structures found only in bacterial cells and not the host cells
What body chemical kills bacteria without harming cells?
White blood cells produce hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria without harming human cells. This process is known as oxidative burst, where the white blood cells create reactive oxygen species to target and destroy invading bacteria.
What compound kills bacteria without harming the cells of humans?
Antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline are effective in killing bacteria by targeting specific bacterial cell components that are absent in human cells, thus reducing the risk of harm to human cells. However, misuse or overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, diminishing their efficacy over time.
How do chemists use facts to create antibiotics that can destroy a bacterial infection without harming human cells?
Antibiotics attack proteins only found in bacteria. Each one targets a specific area, be it their cell wall, cell membrane, protein synthesis centers, and really any area that differs enough from human cells
What are the compounds that kill bacterial cells without harming the cells of humans?
They are called antibiotics (meaning against life) and generally interfere in only a few specific chemical reactions, those found in bacterial cells but not human cells.
How does antibiotics help bacterial infections?
Antibiotics either directly kill bacteria cells or inhibit bacteria cells from dividing, thus allowing the body to eliminate the infection.
What is an explanation of how antibiotics kill bacteria?
antibiotics kill bacteria by penicillin that works by weakening the cell walls of some bacteria and causing the cells to burst
Why the antibiotics are ineffective against viral diseases?
Antibiotics kill bacteria by recognising the antibodies secreted by the bacteria, then attach themselves to the bacteria and give out a signal calling for white blood cells (phagocytes) to eat up the bacteria. Viruses do not secrete the antibodies recognised by antibiotics as they do not resemble proper cells, therefore antibiotics cannot recognise viruses and thus they cannot be digested by phagocytes.
Why ionophore antibiotics do not kill even your human cells but only bacterial ones?
Only microbes have ionophones, which are channels in their membranes. By blocking them using antibiotics, the cell will die as they can not bring ions in and out of their cells. Human cells don't have these and so are not affected by those antibiotics.
How do chemists use this fact to create antibiotics that can destroy a bacterial infection without harming human cells?
Antibiotics attack proteins only found in bacteria. Each one targets a specific area, be it their cell wall, cell membrane, protein synthesis centers, and really any area that differs enough from human cells
