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In what way do antibodies kill bacteria?

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Antibodies do not usually kill bacteria. They are a support system, designed to make it easier for phagocytes, usually macrophages or neutrophils, consume the bacteria. Sometimes however, they can kill the bacteria. read more

Antibodies kill bacteria by three different ways: 1)By binding to the surface of the pathogen they make it unable to enter or damage the host cell. 2)By activating complement system that destroys membrane integrity of the bacteria causing loss of internal equilibrium with its environment. read more

Most bacteria produce a cell wall that is composed partly of a macromolecule called peptidoglycan, itself made up of amino sugars and short peptides. Human cells do not make or need peptidoglycan. Penicillin, one of the first antibiotics to be used widely, prevents the final cross-linking step, or transpeptidation, in assembly of this macromolecule. read more

Friendly bacteria help keep you healthy in many ways, so when antibiotics kill friendly bacteria, your health can suffer because you lose these benefits. Additionally, losing friendly bacteria can give other types of bacteria room to multiply, leading to opportunistic infection. read more

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