INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

Science & Technology General Science
Q.

 Consider the following statements:

1. Anti-viral medicines are harder to make as viruses have biochemical mechanisms of their own. 

2. Anti-bacterial medicines target both bacteria and fungi.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

Explanation:

ANSWER: (A) 

Statement 1 is correct.

  • Microbes can be classified into different categories. They are viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoa. Each of these groups of organisms will have some essential biochemical life process which is peculiar to that group and not shared with the other groups. These processes may be pathways for the synthesis of new substances or respiration. 
  • These pathways will not be used by us either. For example, our cells may make new substances by a mechanism different from that used by bacteria. We have to find a drug that blocks the bacterial synthesis pathway without affecting our own. 
  • This is what is achieved by the antibiotics that we are all familiar with. Similarly, there are drugs that kill protozoa such as the malarial parasite. One reason why making anti-viral medicines is harder than making anti- bacterial medicines is that viruses have few biochemical mechanisms of their own

Statement 2 is not correct.

  • Anti-bacterial medicines target bacteria only.

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