Question

Explain how antibiotics can kill bacterial cells without harming

human cells. Provide at least one example.

Answer 1

Antibiotics work by interfering with the bacterial cell wall to prevent growth and replication of the bacteria. Human cells do not have cell walls, but many types of bacteria do, and so antibiotics can target bacteria without harming human cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Human cells do not contain peptidoglycan, so penicillin specifically targets bacterial cells. Other antibiotics target different molecules that inhibit bacterial growth while leaving human cells undamaged.