Question

A new antibiotic has been developed that shows a strong affinity for attacking amino acids with a

specific orientation in space. In order for it to work well in humans, the antibiotic must be effective
against amino acids in which one of the following configurations?
(A) R-configuration
(B) L-configuration
(C) Aromatic ring configuration
(D) Polypeptide chain configuration
(E) D-configuration

Answer 1

The antibiotic must be effective against the L-configuration of amino acids to work well in humans, because L-amino acids are the ones naturally occurring and incorporated into human proteins.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking in which configuration an antibiotic must be effective against amino acids so that it works well in humans. Considering that nearly all known plant and animal proteins are composed of L-amino acids, and that L-form amino acids occur naturally and are utilized in human physiology, the antibiotic must be effective against amino acids with the L-configuration (option B). This is because L-amino acids are the ones that are incorporated into human proteins and enzymes. It's also noteworthy that while some bacteria contain D-amino acids in their cell walls, human proteins are typically made up of L-amino acids, and this is reflected in the way drugs interact with our biological systems.

Answer 2

The antibiotic must be effective against amino acids in the L-configuration in order to work well in humans.

A new antibiotic has been developed that shows a strong affinity for attacking amino acids with a specific orientation in space. The antibiotic must be effective against amino acids in the L-configuration in order to work well in humans.

Chirality is a property of certain molecules that have mirror-image forms, called enantiomers. In the case of amino acids, they can exist as L-isomers or D-isomers. The L-configuration of amino acids occurs naturally in living organisms and is the form that is used to build proteins.

Therefore, the antibiotic must target the L-configuration of amino acids to be effective against them in humans.