Which one of the following statements is correct about effects of ant...
Key-Points - A virus is an acellular structure which is a non-living particle outside of the body of its host.
- Thus, it lacks protoplasm which is the site of most of the metabolic activities, antibiotics which are effective against bacteria (living prokaryotic cell), are ineffective on viruses.
- Viruses don't have cell walls that can be attacked by antibiotics instead, they are surrounded by a protective protein coat, Unlike bacteria, which attack your body's cells from the outside, viruses actually move into the body cell and make copies of themselves in your body's cells.
Important Point - Viruses are non-cellular, microscopic infectious agents that can only replicate inside a host cell.
- From a biological perspective, viruses cannot be classified either as living organisms or non-living.
- They act as living organisms when they are present in a host organism (cell), otherwise, they are nonliving organisms.
- Viruses are classified on the basis of genetic material - ds DNA (polio), dsRNA, ssDNA, ssRNA (orthomyxoviruses).
- Viruses cause diseases among animals and plants.
- Potato mosaic and tobacco mosaic are common viral diseases among plants.
- Chickenpox, AIDS, and Ebola are common viral animal diseases.
Viroids and prions are the infecting proteins and RNA, they lack cell covers like a virus or any other eukaryotes. - They were discovered by T Dienner in 1971 and these are also responsible for diseases among animals, E.g. mad cow disease.
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Which one of the following statements is correct about effects of ant...
Effects of antibiotics on viruses
Statement: Viruses do not possess metabolic pathways on which antibiotics can function, whereas bacteria have such pathways
Antibiotics are powerful drugs that are used to treat bacterial infections. They work by targeting specific metabolic pathways or structures in bacteria, disrupting their growth and killing them. However, antibiotics are not effective against viral infections. Here's why:
1. Differences between viruses and bacteria
- Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and have a simpler structure. They consist of genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat, and in some cases, a lipid envelope. They lack the complex cellular structure and metabolic pathways that bacteria possess.
- Bacteria, on the other hand, are single-celled microorganisms with a more complex cellular structure and various metabolic pathways.
2. Mode of action of antibiotics
- Antibiotics work by targeting specific metabolic pathways or structures in bacteria. For example, some antibiotics inhibit the synthesis of bacterial cell walls, while others interfere with protein synthesis or DNA replication.
- Since viruses lack these metabolic pathways, antibiotics have no target to act upon. Therefore, they are ineffective against viral infections.
3. Antibiotics can't differentiate between bacteria and host cells
- Antibiotics are not selective in their action. They can't distinguish between harmful bacteria and beneficial bacteria that reside in our bodies. This lack of selectivity can lead to the killing of beneficial bacteria, disrupting the natural balance of microorganisms in the body and potentially causing side effects.
- Since viruses are intracellular parasites, they rely on host cells for their replication. Targeting viruses directly with antibiotics would require distinguishing between host cells and infected cells, which is not currently possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the correct statement is that viruses do not possess metabolic pathways on which antibiotics can function, whereas bacteria have such pathways. Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections due to the differences in structure and metabolism between viruses and bacteria. It is important to note that antiviral drugs are specifically developed to target viral infections and are used in the treatment of viral diseases.
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