Antibiotics, also known as antibacterial drugs, is the term used to classify the large assortment of available medications that kill bacteria. These medications specifically target bacteria by chemically interfering with its normal structure and function. To understand why antibiotics are not effective against viruses, it is best to understand the differences between bacteria and viruses:
Bacteria are single-celled organisms that take in food, use energy, grow, reproduce, and respond and adapt to their environment. When inside a host, the bacteria can only survive if these characteristics of life are met. For a bacterial infection to persist, the bacteria must be able to grow and reproduce by adapting to the immune system's response to it. Antibiotics work by causing a change in conditions that the bacteria cannot adapt to, killing the bacteria and clearing up the infection.
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria, and commonly consist of DNA or RNA and a protein shell for protection. Viruses do not take in food, grow, or reproduce on their own; they inject their DNA or RNA into a cell, causing that cell to constantly produce more viruses. There are very few metabolic processes in the virus that medications can interfere with. Viral infections take place by altering the functions of the host's cells. Therefore, it is more difficult to prevent the reproduction of viruses without destroying healthy cells.
Antiviral medications can be prescribed to treat diseases caused by viruses. However, most viral infections are naturally cured by the host's immune system. Antiviral medications boost the immune system, or allow more favorable conditions for the immune system to function.
Antibiotics are easier to produce because bacteria are larger and have more metabolic (chemical) pathways that can be interrupted by medication without damaging healthy cells within the host. These medications are specific to bacteria, and generally have no impact on viral infections.
It is important to note that using antibiotics to treat viral infections is dangerous because prolonged or unnecessary use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, complicating the recovery process for a future bacterial infection.
Antibiotics are much different than antivirals, and they cannot be used in place of the other. Bacteria and viruses are completely different "organisms". They do not look or act the same. Antibiotics cannot treat viruses because viruses are nothing like bacteria.
For example, some antibiotics kill bacteria by keeping he bacteria from reproducing. Viruses, on the other hand, can't reproduce by themselves. They need to infect bacteria or other types of cells, where they can reprogram the cell to create copies of the virus. How would an antibiotic which keeps bacteria from growing possibly inhibit the growth of viruses which do not reproduce in the same way? Answer: they can't.
Antiviral medications treat viral infections. In the same way that antibacterials cannot be used to treat viral infections, antiviral medications cannot be used to treat bacterial infections.
Penicillin is an antibiotic; it fights bacteria. Flu and HIV are viruses, and antibiotics will not help a viral infection. Penicillin is effective against some types of bacteria. It has no action against viral infections like influenza (the flu) and HIV.
Vaccines are used to prevent viral infections by stimulating the body's immune system to produce antibodies. Antibiotics, on the other hand, are not effective against viruses because they target bacteria.
Antibiotics are useful against bacteria; they do not do anything about viruses.
Antibiotics disrupt bacterial cell processes that result in either killing the bacteria, preventing it from reproducing, or preventing it from causing symptoms in humans. For example: penicillin disrupts the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall in mostly gram positive bacteria. This prevents the growth of the target bacteria. Any gram negative bacteria will be unaffected by penicillin because they have a different process of synthesizing cell walls that is not disrupted by penicillin. Viruses don't even have a cell wall, they have a protein coat and sometimes an envelope. Neither of these are affected by penicillin. So antibiotics target specific processes that only occur in specific types of bacteria, so each antibiotic will only work on some bacteria and never on viruses. The virus version of antibiotics are called interferon, they disrupt processes that are specific to viruses.
Viruses are microscopic and can not be killed by antibiotics (against life) as they are not living.
Antibiotics are products made to fight bacteria. The word means anti- (against) -bio (life). Since viruses are not alive, antibiotics cannot harm them.
B. Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only kill bacteria
Yes. But only by antiviral antibiotics, not antibacterial or antifungal or antiprotozoal antibiotics. Most antibiotics are antibacterial: such as penicillin, sulfa, cipro, rocephin, etc. The Herpes Simplex virus is a virus that can be attacked by an antibiotic, such as acyclovir. Just as with antibacterial antibiotics, antiviral antibiotics will become less effective over time as the viruses mutate to become more resistant. Therefore, these antibiotics should be used as judiciously as the other types of antibiotics.
Penicillin targets and disrupts the cell walls of bacteria. However, not all bacteria have cell walls that are susceptible to penicillin. Some bacteria have developed resistance mechanisms such as producing enzymes that can break down the penicillin molecule, rendering it ineffective against them.
NO!!!! penicillin, and all other anti-biotics are NOT affective against viruses, of which H1N1, and regular influenza are.
Antibiotics are only for bacteria. Viruses need antiviral medicines.
Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, not viruses, and HIV is a virus.