Final answer:
The primary target for anti-fungal drugs is the cell membrane, specifically ergosterol synthesis, which differs from cholesterol metabolism in human cells. The similarity of fungi and human cells makes selective targeting difficult, requiring strategies to exploit subtle differences in cell components like sterols and cell wall constituents.
Step-by-step explanation:
A major selective target for anti-fungal drugs is the cell membrane. Antifungal medications work primarily by exploiting differences in the biochemical pathways involved in the synthesis of sterols between fungal and human cells. In fungi, the predominant sterol is ergosterol, whereas human cell membranes contain cholesterol. Antifungal drugs that target ergosterol synthesis can be selectively toxic to fungal cells while sparing human cells.
When addressing the specifics of antifungal drug targets:
- Cholesterol is not an appropriate target for antifungal drugs.
- The targets for anti-fungal drugs are limited because human cells are much more similar to fungi cells than to bacteria or viruses.
- Eukaryotic cells that are not derived from endosymbiotic bacterium include mitochondria-related structures, but not the outer membrane.
- Viruses lack components like ribosomes and metabolic processes, which are present in eukaryotic cells.
Understanding the similarities between eukaryotic cells, including their ribosomes, cytoskeletons, and cell membranes, is crucial in the context of drug development. This similarity makes it challenging to develop medications that effectively target protozoans and fungi without affecting human cells.