Question

Although intracellular bacterial infection can be treated by giving an antibiotic that blocks protein synthesis, it doesn't affect human cells. Why

Answer 1

Answer:

This is related to Chemistry of the antibiotics. The antibiotics are specific to their targets. The Bacterial cell walls are composed of the protein peptidoglycan (composed of amino acids and intervening sugar molecules). The antibiotics are made such that they target only these molecules by altering their chemistry and block the pathways leading to their synthesis (called inhibition where an inhibiting chemical binds to the enzymes and stops the synthesis of a required molecule). Thus, as the human cell molecules don't follow these pathways for their synthesis, the drugs don't harm them.

Explanation: