The discovery of the antibiotic Penicillin in the 1920s made a
big impact on human history. Not only did it provide a cure for
bacterial infections that were once deadly, but it also led to a
golden age in discovery of new antibiotics. The great benefit of
these drugs is that antibiotics inhibit the growth of bacterial
cells or kill them outright, and yet, on the whole, do not harm
eukaryotic cells.
Answer BOTH of the following
questions:
Given the following list of antibiotics
Penicillin
Blocks cell wall synthesis
Tetracycline
Blocks protein synthesis by binding to the 30S Unit of the
ribosome
Chloramphenicol
Blocks protein synthesis by binding to the 50S Unit of the
ribosome
Sulfonamides
Inhibit folic acid synthesis
Vancomycin
and their targets, explain how each stops bacteria without harming
human cells. Base your analyses on the differences between
eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
Considering the targets of these antibiotics, explain
why antibiotics in general would not be useful for
treating a viral infection.
