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Question

Difficulty: EasyHealth, Nutrition, and Disease

Why are antibiotics ineffective in treating illnesses such as influenza and the common cold?

  1. A
    Viruses are protected by a thick bacterial cell wall that blocks medication.
  2. B
    Antibiotics are formulated solely to destroy fungal spores rather than infectious microbes.
  3. Antibiotics specifically target bacterial structures and processes, whereas influenza and colds are caused by viruses.Answer
  4. D
    Viruses immediately transform into bacteria upon contact with antibiotic drugs.

Answer

Antibiotics specifically target bacterial structures and processes, whereas influenza and colds are caused by viruses.
Antibiotics function by interfering with specific cellular structures and metabolic pathways found in bacteria, such as peptidoglycan cell walls or bacterial ribosomes. The common cold and influenza are caused by viruses, which rely on host cells to replicate and lack these bacterial structures, rendering antibiotics ineffective.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the type of pathogen causing the common cold and influenza
Both the common cold and influenza are respiratory infections caused by viruses.
Determining the causative agent is necessary to evaluate the correct medical intervention.
2
Examine the mechanism of action of antibiotic drugs
Antibiotics inhibit cellular processes unique to bacteria, such as cell wall synthesis or bacterial protein synthesis.
Because viruses lack cellular organelles and metabolic machinery, antibiotics have no biological target to act upon.

Key Concept

Target specificity of antibiotics against bacterial pathogens versus viral infections
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Health, Nutrition, and Disease

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