Question

The target of the sulfonamides is?

1) cytoplasmic membrane proteins
2) folate synthesis
3) gyrase
4) peptidoglycan biosynthesis
5) RNA polymerase

Answer 1

Sulfonamides target the bacterial folic acid synthesis pathway, inhibiting the production of necessary nucleic acids and rendering bacterial cells susceptible to osmotic lysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The target of sulfonamides is the bacterial folic acid synthesis pathway. By inhibiting an enzyme involved in producing dihydrofolic acid, sulfonamides block the biosynthesis of folic acid, which is essential for the creation of pyrimidines and purines necessary for nucleic acid synthesis. This action provides a bacteriostatic effect against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Human cells are not affected by sulfonamides because humans obtain folic acid through their diet rather than synthesizing it internally, which makes sulfonamides selectively toxic to bacteria. Sulfonamides are essential in the fight against bacterial infections but can sometimes lead to allergic reactions. The efficacy of sulfonamides underscores their crucial role in antimicrobial therapy as they prevent bacteria from multiplying by interfering with folic acid production, rendering bacterial cells more prone to osmotic lysis.