Final answer:
Phenolics kill microbes not by inhibiting protein synthesis, but by denaturing proteins and disrupting cell membranes. This is distinct from the way some heavy metals and antibiotics inhibit the growth of microbes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that phenolics typically kill microbes by inhibiting protein synthesis is false. Instead, phenolics act by denaturing proteins and disrupting cell membranes, which in turn leads to the death of the microbes. Unlike phenolics, heavy metals like silver and copper do have the ability to bind to proteins, thereby inhibiting enzymatic activity and ultimately leading to microbial death. Moreover, certain antibiotics are known to target bacterial protein synthesis; for example, tetracycline and chloramphenicol can hinder the ribosome function, which is a separate mechanism than that of phenolics.