- #1
Ahmed Abdullah
- 203
- 3
Some antibiotic kills bacteria by inhibiting their protein synthesis. The idea is that, prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis machinery is not the same, so we can selectively use antibiotic that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis but not ours. Mitochondrion also known as the powerhouse of the cell, is of prokaryotic origin and is similar to bacteria in a many aspect most importantly both have 70S ribosome - their protein synthetic machinery. So what inhibit bacterial protein synthesis (unspecifically) should also inhibit mitochondrial protein synthesis.
Antibiotic like aminoglycosides, macrolides, and tetracyclines works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis. So they should also inhibit mitochondrial protein synthesis ---> impair their function .---> and possibly kill them.
Obviously this should not be right, otherwise these antibiotic would not be here. So my question is how they manage, not to kill the mitochondria or be benevolent on them?
Antibiotic like aminoglycosides, macrolides, and tetracyclines works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis. So they should also inhibit mitochondrial protein synthesis ---> impair their function .---> and possibly kill them.
Obviously this should not be right, otherwise these antibiotic would not be here. So my question is how they manage, not to kill the mitochondria or be benevolent on them?