The type of treatment of a disease depends on the category of the infectious agent.
Members of each one of these groups have many common biological characteristics. For example - all viruses live inside host cells, whereas bacteria very rarely do. Viruses, bacteria and fungi multiply very quickly, while worms multiply very slowly in comparison. Taxonomically, all bacteria are closely related to each other than to viruses and vice versa.
This means that many important life processes are similar in the bacteria group but are not shared with the virus group. As a result, drugs that block one of these life processes in one member of the group is likely to be effective against many other members of the group. But the same drug will not work against a microbe belonging to a different group. Example antibiotics block biochemical pathways important for bacteria. Many bacteria, for example, make a cell-wall to protect themselves. The antibiotic penicillin blocks the bacterial processes that build the cell-wall. As a result, the growing bacteria become unable to make cell-walls, and die easily.
But viruses do not use these pathways at all, and that is the reason why antibiotics do not work against viral infections. If we have a common cold, taking antibiotics does not reduce the severity or the duration of the disease. However, if we also get a bacterial infection along with the viral cold, taking antibiotics will help.
Meghna Thapar 5 years, 7 months ago
The type of treatment of a disease depends on the category of the infectious agent.
Members of each one of these groups have many common biological characteristics. For example - all viruses live inside host cells, whereas bacteria very rarely do. Viruses, bacteria and fungi multiply very quickly, while worms multiply very slowly in comparison. Taxonomically, all bacteria are closely related to each other than to viruses and vice versa.
This means that many important life processes are similar in the bacteria group but are not shared with the virus group. As a result, drugs that block one of these life processes in one member of the group is likely to be effective against many other members of the group. But the same drug will not work against a microbe belonging to a different group. Example antibiotics block biochemical pathways important for bacteria. Many bacteria, for example, make a cell-wall to protect themselves. The antibiotic penicillin blocks the bacterial processes that build the cell-wall. As a result, the growing bacteria become unable to make cell-walls, and die easily.
But viruses do not use these pathways at all, and that is the reason why antibiotics do not work against viral infections. If we have a common cold, taking antibiotics does not reduce the severity or the duration of the disease. However, if we also get a bacterial infection along with the viral cold, taking antibiotics will help.
0Thank You