Dear friends, you know what? When we accidentally run into some bad bacteria, and we get sick, there’s a magic drug called antibacterial, which comes out like a brave little guard, fights with those bad bacteria, beats them, makes our bodies better. Let’s find out how antibacterials beat bad bacteria today!
I. “Small Walls” that destroy bacteria – inhibit cell wall synthesis
Kids can imagine that bacteria is like a little castle, and there’s a very strong “small wall” outside, which is the cell wall of bacteria, which protects bacteria from the outside, and allows bacteria to remain like themselves.
Some antibacterial drugs, such as penicillin and sapilin, are smart enough to find the little tools that bacteria need to use to build this “small wall” (in fact, some enzymes that help synthetic cell walls), and then to hide them or break them. In this way, when bacteria grow up or split into two little bacteria, they can’t properly cover the little walls. Without complete protection of the “small walls”, bacteria become fragile, just like the castle without the walls, and when the pressure comes down outside, they burst and die, so that our bodies will not be disturbed by them.
Opening the “door” of bacteria – affecting membrane penetration
And then again, there’s a very important “door” of bacteria, which is its cell membrane. This “door” is important. It cares what goes into the bacteria and what goes out.
There’s an antibacterial drug called polymixin, which, like a naughty little elf, runs to the bacteria’ “door” and then hangs out with the little parts on the “door” (the specific ingredient on the membrane), and it turns the “door” into a mess that opens the “door” that could be opened and that can now be accessed by anyone. It’s so bad that everything that’s important inside the bacteria is gone, and everything that’s bad outside is gone, and the bacteria can’t live well and die, and our bodies are much better.
“Small factory” for the disruption of bacteria – interference with protein synthesis
Kids, you know what? In order for bacteria to grow up and move, they need a lot of little parts, which are proteins. The bacteria have a “small factory” that specializes in the production of these proteins, which is actually its nuclei.
There’s a lot of antibacterials, like amino sugar, tetracyclics and big meths, and they’re going to mess up in this little factory. For example, amino sugar is a drug that runs to bacteria’s nuclei, which combines with a few small places on the nuclei, so that when the nuclei make proteins, the proteins that are produced are weird, can’t be used, or simply can’t be produced. Without these good little parts, bacteria like a little car without wheels can’t run, and we can’t get sick anymore.
Interdiction of bacteria’ “generative treasure” – inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis
And finally, we’re talking about bacteria’ “herbicide,” which is nucleic acid, which includes DNA and RNA, but it’s important for bacteria to tell themselves how to grow up and how to have babies.
There’s some antibacterials, like quinone and Lifupin, that stop bacteria from passing on this family treasure. For example, in the case of quinone, it runs to a little machine (i.e. DNA rotation enzymes) where bacteria are used to copy DNA, so that it can’t be replicated and bacteria can’t produce any more. Li Fuping will interfere with a small machine that produces RNA, so RNA can’t make it. So the bacteria can no longer mess with our bodies without the legacy of the family heirloom.
So, little friends, antibacterials are fighting against bad bacteria through these wonderful ways. But we can’t just eat antibacterials. We have to listen to the doctors and aunts so they can better protect our bodies.
