Bacterial toxins and antibiotics

What is a toxin?

A poisonous substance produced by a living organism that can cause biological damage.

How can bacterial toxins cause disease?

They can interfere with cellular processes, damage cells, disrupt physiological functions, or trigger excessive inflammation.

What is an exotoxin?

A protein toxin produced and released by certain bacteria.

What is an endotoxin?

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that can trigger a strong inflammatory response.

What is the difference between endotoxin and exotoxins?

Exotoxins are bacterial protein toxins that are produced and released; endotoxin is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.

How can antitoxins protect against bacterial toxins?

They bind to and neutralise specific toxins.

What are antibiotics?

Medicines that target bacteria and can treat certain bacterial infections.

What bacterial processes can antibiotics target?

Processes such as cell-wall synthesis, bacterial protein synthesis, or DNA replication.

Why don’t antibiotics work against viruses?

Viruses lack the bacterial cellular structures and processes targeted by antibiotics.