Question

Which of the following terms refers to the ability of an antimicrobial drug to harm the target microbe without harming the host?

mode of action
therapeutic level
spectrum of activity
selective toxicity

Answer 1

The term for an antimicrobial drug's ability to selectively harm a microbe without affecting the host is 'selective toxicity'. This concept is crucial for minimizing side effects in antimicrobial therapy and is dependent on the unique mode of action of the drug and its spectrum of activity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term that refers to the ability of an antimicrobial drug to harm the target microbe without harming the host is selective toxicity. Selective toxicity is essential because it ensures that the antimicrobial drug targets only the microbes that are causing the infection, thereby minimizing the side effects on the host's own cells. Antibacterial drugs, for example, exploit differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells to achieve selectivity. These drugs have a specific mode of action, which might be bacteriostatic (inhibiting bacterial growth) or bactericidal (killing bacteria), and they can vary in their spectrum of activity (the range of bacteria they affect).

Developing drugs with selective toxicity is particularly challenging for eukaryotic pathogens like fungi, protozoa, and helminths, as well as for viruses, which replicate within human cells. Understanding the modes of interaction between antimicrobial drugs and their specific microbial structures or enzymes is crucial in designing effective treatments while minimizing harm to the host organism.

Answer 2

The correct option is : d. selective toxicity

Step-by-step explanation:

The selective toxicity of a drug is described as the ability of a drug to target the target sites only. This property of a drug enables the drug to reduce the microbial growth or kill the microbe cells without harming the cells of the host.

Such antimicrobial drugs include antibiotics. Antibiotics are highly selective in nature. The antibiotics are the chemical substances, which are produced by microorganisms and have the ability to inhibit the growth of other microorganisms, without causing harming to the host cells.

Therefore, selective toxicity is the ability of the antimicrobial drugs to harm the target microbes without harming the host cells.