Question

Compared with bacteria, there are relatively few drugs available for use against fungal pathogens because:

a) Fungi have different cell structures
b) Bacteria multiply faster
c) Fungal infections are less severe
d) Fungi are easier to treat

Answer 1

Few drugs exist for fungal pathogens because fungi and human cells are similar, making it hard to target fungi without harming human cells. Antibacterial drugs target unique aspects of prokaryotic bacteria, which are more distinct from human cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Compared with bacteria, there are relatively few drugs available for use against fungal pathogens because human cells are much more similar to fungi cells than bacteria or viruses. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, like human cells, which makes it notoriously difficult to develop antimicrobial drugs that are selectively toxic to the fungi without harming the human host. The cells of humans and fungi share similarities in ribosomes, cytoskeletons, and cell membranes, presenting a challenge to achieve selective toxicity that is required for an effective antifungal drug. Antibacterial drugs, on the other hand, have a greater variety of unique targets because bacteria are prokaryotic and significantly different from human cells.