442,570 views
33 votes
33 votes
Some antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections kill the bacteria by chemically punching holes in the cell wall of the bacteria, by preventing the bacteria from replicating their DNA, or by many other actions that ultimately cause cell death. Why do these antibiotics not work to kill viruses and cure people of viral infections

User Evgeny Shurakov
by
2.6k points

2 Answers

11 votes
11 votes

Final answer:

Antibiotics target specific bacterial cell structures and processes, which are absent in viruses, therefore they cannot kill viruses. Antibiotics work exclusively against bacteria, leading to the need for antiviral drugs to treat viral infections. Overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Step-by-step explanation:

Antibiotics are medicines designed to fight bacterial infections by targeting specific parts of the bacterial cell. These include mechanisms such as damaging the cell wall, inhibiting protein synthesis, or preventing the replication of bacterial DNA. The cell walls of bacteria have a unique composition that is not found in human cells or viruses, allowing antibiotics to target bacteria without harming human cells. Furthermore, bacteria are prokaryotic cells with their own metabolic processes that can be disrupted by antibiotics. However, antibiotics do not work on viruses because viruses lack a cell structure and use the host's cellular machinery for replication. Viruses are neither alive in the traditional sense nor do they carry out metabolic processes that antibiotics can target.

Antibiotics misusage or overuse has led to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These bacteria have undergone natural selection that favors the survival and multiplication of strains that can withstand antibiotic treatments. On the other hand, antiviral drugs and vaccines are used to fight viral infections by targeting specific viral proteins or by boosting the immune response against the virus. Unlike bactericidal antibiotics, antiviral treatments must be carefully designed to target the replication process of viruses without causing harm to the host cells.

User Takamitsu Mizutori
by
3.2k points
27 votes
27 votes

antibiotics dont work on viruses because viruses dont have cell walls that antibiotics can attack

User Victor Alves
by
2.9k points