Question

Antibiotics such as penicillin interfere with the ability of bacteria to synthesize cell walls. Explain why cell walls are a good target for a useful antibiotic and whether you think that penicillin would be effective against a bacterial cell in an isotonic environment.

Answer 1

Antibiotics such as penicillin interfere with the ability of bacteria to synthesize cell walls. Cell walls are a good objective for a useful antibiotic and whether you think that penicillin would be effective against a bacterial cell in an isotonic surroundings. Cell walls are a good target for antibiotics because if the antibiotic destroy the synthesis process of cell wall of viruses and other harmful cells, then the antibiotics reduce harmful cells from a healthy body. Penicillin is an example of an antibiotic, which has functions to synthesis of hinder cell wall. If penicillin treated a bacterial cell in an isotonic environment, it would be effective at interfering with the synthesis of cell wall, because bacterial cell walls contain peptidoglycan, which can be destroyed by penicillin and lysozyme. In an isotonic environment, a bacterial cell can survive without a cell wall, so penicillin would be less effective than in a hypotonic surroundings.