Question

In humans, the antibiotic amoxicillin (a type of penicillin) is used to treat certain bacterial infections. Complete the sentences to analyze the antibiotic.
Match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right.
Amoxicillin inhibits an enzyme required to build ______ in bacteria.
Since humans have _____, they are _______ by amoxicillin.
Words: unaffected, lysosomes, vacuoles, cell walls, cell membranes, also affected, DNA, RNA.

Answer 1

Answer:

Amoxicillin inhibits an enzyme required to build cell walls in bacteria.

Since humans have cell membranes, they are unaffected by amoxicillin.

Explanation:

Antibiotics are specifically designed to target bacterial cells, therefore, they don't kill human cells.

Amoxicillin, a type of penicillin, inhibits the biosynthesis of bacterial cell wall. The bacterial cell wall contains peptidoglycan that constitutes almost 95% of the cell wall in some Gram positive bacteria and as little as 5-10% of the cell wall in Gram negative bacteria. Amoxicillin inhibits the cross linkage between the linear peptidoglycan polymer chains that make up a major component of the cell walls of both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.