Antibiotics Such as Penicillin Interfere with the Ability of Bacteria

question 32

Essay

Antibiotics such as penicillin interfere with the ability of bacteria to synthesize cell walls. Explain why cell walls are a good target for a useful antibiotic and whether you think that penicillin would be effective against a bacterial cell in an isotonic environment.

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Definitions:

Diorite

A medium- to coarse-grained, intermediate-composition igneous rock; the phaneritic equivalent of andesite.

Dissolved Gas

A gas that has been absorbed into a liquid solution, such as carbon dioxide in water, often influencing chemical reactions and physical properties.

Andesite

A volcanic rock type that is intermediate in composition between basalt and rhyolite, often found in volcanic arcs associated with convergent tectonic boundaries.

Alpha Decay

The radioactive decay process in which an unstable atom fissions, releasing a positively charged particle with two protons and two neutrons.