How do antibiotics kill bacterial cells but not human cells?
490824
hi my name is Geeth Prajwal from India i hope this will help you\n\n\n\nIn order to be useful in treating human infections, antibiotics must selectively target bacteria for eradication and not the cells of its human host. Indeed, modern antibiotics act either on processes that are unique to bacteria--such as the synthesis of cell walls or folic acid--or on bacterium-specific targets within processes that are common to both bacterium and human cells, including protein or DNA replication. Following are some examples. \n\nMost bacteria produce a cell wall that is composed partly of a macromolecule called peptidoglycan, itself made up of amino sugars and short peptides. Human cells do not make or need peptidoglycan. Penicillin, one of the first antibiotics to be used widely, prevents the final cross-linking step, or transpeptidation, in assembly of this macromolecule. The result is a very fragile cell wall that bursts, killing the bacterium. No harm comes to the human host because penicillin does not inhibit any biochemical process that goes on within us. \n\nBacteria can also be selectively eradicated by targeting their metabolic pathways. Sulfonamides, such as sulfamethoxazole, are similar in structure to para-aminobenzoic acid, a compound critical for synthesis of folic acid. All cells require folic acid and it can diffuse easily into human cells. But the vitamin cannot enter bacterial cells and thus bacteria must make their own. The sulfa drugs such as sulfonamides inhibit a critical enzyme--dihydropteroate synthase--in this process. Once the process is stopped, the bacteria can no longer grow. \n\nAnother kind of antibiotic--tetracycline--also inhibits bacterial growth by stopping protein synthesis. Both bacteria and humans carry out protein synthesis on structures called ribosomes. Tetracycline can cross the membranes of bacteria and accumulate in high concentrations in the cytoplasm. Tetracycline then binds to a single site on the ribosome--the 30S (smaller) ribosomal subunit--and blocks a key RNA interaction, which shuts off the lengthening protein chain. In human cells, however, tetracycline does not accumulate in sufficient concentrations to stop protein synthesis. \n\nSimilarly, DNA replication must occur in both bacteria and human cells. The process is sufficiently different in each that antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin--a fluoroquinolone notable for its activity against the anthrax bacillus--can specifically target an enzyme called DNA gyrase in bacteria. This enzyme relaxes tightly wound chromosomal DNA, thereby allowing DNA replication to proceed. But this antibiotic does not affect the DNA gyrases of humans and thus, again, bacteria die while the host remains unharmed. \n\nMany other compounds can kill both bacterial and human cells. It is the selective action of antibiotics against bacteria that make them useful in the treatment of infections while at the same time allowing the host to live another day.
736874
To treat it, not really. Antibiotics are needed.\n\nThere MAY be something to give temporary relief of symptoms, but they wouldn't affect the bacterial.
737166
Your body does create antibodies, but some bacteria miltiply very quickly and simply over-power the body's immune system, and then you would never get better, you may suffer permanent damage, and you could possibly die. \n\nAntibiotics work in one of two ways. Some actually kill the infection, and others only prevent the growth of the infection, thus giving the body the time it needs to fight the bacteria itself.
333785
it's totally depends on the type of the bacteria!\n1)sterilization:fungi is so sentitive to this condition.but if the bacteria is the kind that produce endospore then this method is not useful\n2)pasteurization:kills all the bacterias except the one couses Query\n3)filterization:useful for bacterias except Mycoplasma\n4)Rays like UV X and Gamma\n5)chemical Gases which are mutagenes like rays\n6)chemical liquids
241963
When an infection enters your body your immune system increases the white blood cell count which controls the spread of the bacterial or virus.Your temperature rises to "fry" the infection.Antibiotics don't actually destroy bacteria,they prevent them from multiplying,and your immune system does the rest.
16203
It is an infction that came about because a person or people only took the first few doses of thier antibiotics - all that does is kill off the weaker bacteria, and allows the strongest to survive and thrive. Once the infection with this leftover strong bacteria gets full blown, antibiotics don't always work to destroy it. That is why you have to take ALL of your doses of antibiotics. This is becoming a world problem. In a lot of southeast asian countries, if people get sick, they can go buy antibiotics over the counter. They take them only until they 'feel better', which means that the bacteria is probably not gone, and that only the strongest are left to reproduce. Some bacteria like this adapts to the point where it actually feeds off the antibiotics, killing the host. The only way to take care of this problem is for basically the entire planet to keep careful control of antibiotics.  Some strains are becoming resistant because of this.
865599
Viral illnesses CANNOT  be treated with antibiotics.  Usually viruses need to just run their course and just treat the symptoms, although there are few viruses that do have anti-viral meds. Bacterial illnesses CAN be treated quite effectively with antibiotics.
483281
antibiotics are supposed to make it not work
605029
first of all you'll probably void any effect the antibiotic had...also watch out for liver damage
451445
No it will kill only certain bacteria.You have to do a culture+ABST test to find out what antibiotic is sensitive for what.ABST stands for antibiotic sensitivity test.Do not rake your brain, we are raking our brain for you.\n\nDr K.S.A.Kumarasiri(MD)
950199
Penicillin must be taken until the pills run out. The reason is that we can suffer a relapse of the disease if the treatment is ended early. The bug comes back because not all of it is killed off when our symptoms cease. The reason why this happens is that penicillin only kills bacteria when they are dividing. It messes up cell wall production needed when the cells split into two. The antibiotic does not affect bacteria if they are resting. We can kill off most of the disease bacteia then cease treatment and the few remaining cells can start growing and reproducing again. Penecillin does not affect psylocin nor psilocybin that are found in many magic mushrooms. They are very different molecules.\nDoc. Dan.
762187
It is a bacteria.\n\nThe antibiotics we use to fight E. coli depend a bit on where the infection is. Different antibiotics tend to have different penetrations into various body parts.\n\nUrinary infections: we will use trimethoprim, amoxycillin&clavulanic acid combination, cephalexin\nKidney infections: often intravenous antibiotics eg amoxycillin&gentamicin IV or cephalexin/cephazolin/ampicillin instead of amoxycillin\n\nIn some cases we use norfloxacin or ciprofloxacin.
1043317
Antibiotics literally translates to "destroy-life".  Antibiotics are designed to remedy bacterial infection, by killing the living bacteria that causes the infection.\n\nYour doctor most likely said that you have a VIRAL infection.  This means that it is from a virus.  Viruses are not living things in the same way that bacteria are, so they cannot be killed by antibiotics.  Instead, they have to run their course as your body fights them off.\n\nTo the best of my knowledge, there is no such thing as a VITAL infection, you may have just misheard or miskeyed.
848383
Not as of yet, the problem is that it has been mutating to quickly for an effective vaccine to be developed.  It is a virus, so it can't be killed with antibiotics.  It has to be prevented with vaccination and since it has shown a high mutation capacity it may be some time before anything is discovered to inhibit its mutation capabilities and then kill it.
931567
the bacteria's cell membrane is semi permeable to certain molecules.  bacteriacides probably have some form of "nutrient" in them to confuse the bacteria into taking it in.  It is sort of like rat poison.
17959
Malta fever does not do any permanent damage to humans.   It is a bacterial infection usually treated by antibiotics.
43732
Antimicrobials can be divided into two classifications based upon their effects on target cells. Drugs that actually kill microorganisms are termed bactericidal. Drugs that only inhibit the growth of microorganisms are termed bacteriostatic. The decision to use a bactericidal or bacteriostatic drug to treat infection depends entirely upon the type of infection. For example, bactericidal drugs will only kill cells that are actively growing. Bacteriostatic drugs, in comparison, will only inhibit the growth of cells; ultimate elimination of the organisms is dependent upon host phagocytic activity.