Jim said:

"Metabolic pathways in bacteria are targeted by other types of antibiotics, something else that is very different between prokaryotes and eukaryotes."

Here's a lesson in Biology 101, for those of you who don't know....Metabolic pathways are remarkably similar among all life forms.  Metabolism includes building molecules (anabolism) and destroying them (catabolism).  So, for example, all living organisms perform the same respiratory steps (catabolic reactions) to derive energy.  The only real difference is the molecule they use as the electron acceptor at the endpoint (although there are a few differences among enzymes that drive the citric acid pathway).  We use oxygen, as most life forms do, however some use H2S, etc.  But the key point is *they are the same chemical steps*.  This applies to all of anabolism, as well.  The example is that DNA is used to produce RNA which is modified into mRNA that ribosomes turn into protein, following the "code of life".  There are no exceptions.  Where we can distinguish between bacteria and eukaryotes is limited to the products of anabolism....bacteria make coat proteins that we don't use, bacteria make enzymes that we don't use, and so on.  ***Any other type of interference with the anabolic pathways will overlap with eukaryotic mechanisms and that means both forms will be affected.*** In other words, their poison becomes our poison.

Christina

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