Scientists have developed antibiotics that destroy the cell walls of some cells. This medicine works really well on bacteria. Would it work well on viruses?
a
Yes, because viruses and bacteria both make people sick
b
No, because viruses only have plasma membranes
c
No, because viruses are not made up of cells and lack a cell wall
d
Yes, because viruses and bacteria have the same structure
c
No, because viruses are not made up of cells and lack a cell wall
c
No, because viruses are not made up of cells and lack a cell wall
The correct answer is c) No, because viruses are not made up of cells and lack a cell wall.
To understand why this is the correct answer, let's first break down the information provided in the question. The statement mentions that scientists have developed antibiotics that destroy the cell walls of some cells. Antibiotics are medications used to treat bacterial infections by targeting specific structures or functions within bacterial cells.
Bacteria are complete cells, consisting of a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and a cell wall. The cell wall is a rigid structure located outside the cell membrane, providing shape and protection to the bacterial cell. Antibiotics that target the cell wall can cause the bacteria to burst or become structurally damaged, leading to their destruction.
On the other hand, viruses are different from bacteria. They are not complete cells but rather infectious agents composed of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat. Viruses lack many of the components of a living cell, including a cell wall.
Therefore, the antibiotics that specifically target the cell walls of bacteria would not be effective against viruses. Viruses have different structures and modes of replication, so a different approach is needed to treat viral infections, such as antiviral medications that inhibit viral replication or vaccines that stimulate the body's immune response to fight the virus.