Question

How do antibiotics typically act against Lyme disease?

a) Enter the bacteria and disrupt the cell wall (penicillins)
b) Enter the bacteria and prevent continued multiplication (doxycycline)
c) Enter the bacteria and enhance cell wall synthesis (cephalosporins)
d) Inhibit bacterial protein synthesis (macrolides)

Answer 1

Antibiotics, such as doxycycline, a tetracycline derivative, act against Lyme disease by inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria, preventing their multiplication and treating the infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

Antibiotics typically act against Lyme disease by targeting the bacteria that causes it, Borrelia burgdorferi. The correct mode of action among the options provided would be b) Enter the bacteria and prevent continued multiplication (doxycycline). Doxycycline is a derivative of tetracycline, which is known for inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria by binding to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, preventing the attachment of tRNA to the ribosome and thus blocking the addition of new amino acids to a growing peptide chain. This action halts the bacteria's ability to produce proteins necessary for its replication and survival, effectively treating the infection without harming the human host because our protein synthesis mechanisms are different.