1. Imagine that you have done a gram stain and determined what antibiotic to use to kill the bacterium bacilli. If you expose the bacterium to the antibiotic, how will the antibiotic kill it?
2. If you expose the protozoan Amoeba, to the antibiotic, would you expect it to kill the protozoan? Why or why not? (Hint: If you take an antibiotic, does it kill your body cells?)
2007-03-27 08:44:00 · 2 answers · asked by confidential 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
1) Depends on the bacteria and the antibiotic. Antibiotics usually do one of the following: weaken the cell wall, inhibit cell wall formation, inhibit the bacteria's ability to reproduce or it may block a key pathway that the bacteria uses for metabolism.
2) No. Different drugs are used to attack protozoa. Bacteria and protozoa are different and require different means to attack each one of them. In fact, the human body produces different types of cells to fight the bacteria, protozoa and worms that can infect it.
2007-03-27 11:49:18 · answer #1 · answered by HP 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics do target bacterium only, not normal cells. (attacks the cell wall building)
Antibiotics won't attack viruses because they are'nt living and reproducing like bacterium.
EDIT:
Certain strains of bacilli have become resistant to antibiotics..so rotation of antis are recommended.
2007-03-27 15:58:48 · answer #2 · answered by Bonnie Lynn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋