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Biology

Can antibiotics treat a virus disease?
Reply 1
Antibiotics aren't used for viruses because viruses live inside your body's cells. Antibiotics would damage your own cells too if they were used.
Reply 2
You would need an antiviral treatment, but even then viruses are persistent.
You may need to use an antibiotic is there is a risk of developing a secondary infection as a result of a temporary weakening of the immune system due to the virus. This usually isn’t necessary, you can kick the virus with diet, liquids and rest.

Unless you’re talking serious potentially lethal viruses... very different story, hiv would require strong antiviral drugs and monitoring.
Reply 4
Original post by Connor_H
Antibiotics aren't used for viruses because viruses live inside your body's cells. Antibiotics would damage your own cells too if they were used.


No... Just... No...
Reply 5
I'm assuming this is for GCSE Biology. If so, the answer I gave was correct.....
Reply 6
Original post by Connor_H
I'm assuming this is for GCSE Biology. If so, the answer I gave was correct.....


Then whatever marking scheme you are using is extremely wrong...

I think you are getting antibiotics confused with antivirals. Antiviral drugs are difficult to develop because they can be extremely damaging to host cells not antibiotics.

Antibiotics Antivirals
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 7
Yeah I think I got mixed up between them. Sorry.
Reply 8
Original post by Connor_H
I'm assuming this is for GCSE Biology. If so, the answer I gave was correct.....


Just in case you argue back again I looked on bitesize for GCSE Biology to find a simple way to put this to you and found this exact quote:

"Antibiotics damage the bacterial cells but do not damage the host cells."

So maybe look at your marking scheme again or revise a little harder.

https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zs6q2p3/revision/6
Reply 9
Original post by TomW624
Just in case you argue back again I looked on bitesize for GCSE Biology to find a simple way to put this to you and found this exact quote:

"Antibiotics damage the bacterial cells but do not damage the host cells."

So maybe look at your marking scheme again or revise a little harder.

https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zs6q2p3/revision/6


And OP here's an answer to your question from bitesize too:

"Viral diseases cannot be cured by antibiotics, because they reproduce inside the host cells."

As simple as that I assume but depends how many marks the question is really. You could discuss how antibiotics are designed to target bacterial cells to disrupt their cell walls, inhibit reproduction and what not while not effecting self cells. You could also state that the targets that antibiotics are designed for are not present on viruses because of their completely different structure and reproduction processes and therefore they will not have any effect.
(edited 5 years ago)
Nope.
Original post by Connor_H
Yeah I think I got mixed up between them. Sorry.


That's cool :biggrin: The more you know!

You just admitted you were wrong on TSR I think you deserve some kind of award haha
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by TomW624
And OP here's an answer to your question from bitesize too:

"Viral diseases cannot be cured by antibiotics, because they reproduce inside the host cells."

As simple as that I assume but depends how many marks the question is really. You could discuss how antibiotics are designed to target bacterial cells to disrupt their cell walls, inhibit reproduction and what not while not effecting self cells. You could also state that the targets that antibiotics are designed for are not present on viruses because of their completely different structure and reproduction processes and therefore they will not have any effect.


Yes, it is GCSE and it was a question about why they couldn't use antibiotics to treat EVD (Ebola virus disease). So could I just say "it would be used as it would have no effect" as it is worth one mark?
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by sfranklin2001
Yes, it is GCSE and it was a question about why they couldn't use antibiotics to treat EVD (Ebola virus disease). So could I just say "it was because it would damage the cells" as it is worth one mark?


No. Read my above comments. Connor admitted that he got mixed up with antibiotics and antivirals. I gave you the exact answer and a link to bitesize above

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