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Question
Why are antibiotics not effective against cold and flu? Why do antibiotics work on bacterial infections only? [3 MARKS]
Why are antibiotics not effective against cold and flu? Why do antibiotics work on bacterial infections only? [3 MARKS]
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Solution
Reason: 1 Mark
Explanation: 2 Marks
Cold and flu are caused by viruses.
Viruses insert their genetic material into a human cell's DNA in order to reproduce. Antibiotics cannot kill viruses, unlike bacteria, viruses have different mechanisms and machinery to survive and replicate. The antibiotic has no “target” to attack in a virus. In a bacteria, the antibiotic works by keeping a bacterium from building a cell wall.The bacterium is unable to replicate and dies.
Reason: 1 Mark
Explanation: 2 Marks
Cold and flu are caused by viruses.
Viruses insert their genetic material into a human cell's DNA in order to reproduce. Antibiotics cannot kill viruses, unlike bacteria, viruses have different mechanisms and machinery to survive and replicate. The antibiotic has no “target” to attack in a virus. In a bacteria, the antibiotic works by keeping a bacterium from building a cell wall.The bacterium is unable to replicate and dies.
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