EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Penicillin and vancomycin are among the antibiotics that interfere with synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, yet patients are succumbing to infections caused by bacteria that have emerged resistant even to the drugs of last resort, such as vancomycin.

Detailed explanation-2: -Beta-lactam antibiotics kill bacteria that are surrounded by a cell wall. Bacteria build cell walls by linking molecules together-beta-lactams block this process. Without support from a cell wall, pressure inside the cell becomes too much and the membrane bursts.

Detailed explanation-3: -There are also many types of antibiotics. Some, such as penicillin, kill bacteria by destroying the bacterial cell wall. Others, such as tetracycline, interfere with the ability of bacteria cells to reproduce or make proteins or nutrients they need to survive.

Detailed explanation-4: -Many antibiotics, including penicillin, work by attacking the cell wall of bacteria. Specifically, the drugs prevent the bacteria from synthesizing a molecule in the cell wall called peptidoglycan, which provides the wall with the strength it needs to survive in the human body.