A research laboratory is trying to produce new antibiotics. They come up with a medication that detaches the hydrophilic heads from the phospholipids in cytoplasmic membranes. This drug
A) would be highly toxic and completely useless for human beings and could never be used-our cells also have cytoplasmic membranes with hydrophilic head groups!
B) would be highly toxic for human beings if taken orally, but might be useful as a topical antibiotic skin cream. The top layer of skin cells is dead anyway, so it wouldn't matter if this damaged those cells.
C) would be highly toxic only to bacteria, making it an excellent drug to develop and test further. Humans have a different phospholipid structure in their cytoplasmic membranes from bacteria.
D) would generally not be toxic enough to damage Gram-negative bacteria, as their cytoplasmic membranes lie under a thick layer of peptidoglycan. However, it would be effective against Gram-positive cells.
E) would not work against any bacteria, because they do not have a cytoplasmic membrane; however, it might be effective against helminths and viruses.

Question

A research laboratory is trying to produce new antibiotics. They come up with a medication that detaches the hydrophilic heads from the phospholipids in cytoplasmic membranes. This drug
A) would be highly toxic and completely useless for human beings and could never be used-our cells also have cytoplasmic membranes with hydrophilic head groups!
B) would be highly toxic for human beings if taken orally, but might be useful as a topical antibiotic skin cream. The top layer of skin cells is dead anyway, so it wouldn't matter if this damaged those cells. 
C) would be highly toxic only to bacteria, making it an excellent drug to develop and test further. Humans have a different phospholipid structure in their cytoplasmic membranes from bacteria.
D) would generally not be toxic enough to damage Gram-negative bacteria, as their cytoplasmic membranes lie under a thick layer of peptidoglycan. However, it would be effective against Gram-positive cells.
E) would not work against any bacteria, because they do not have a cytoplasmic membrane; however, it might be effective against helminths and viruses.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer of A research laboratory is trying to produce new antibiotics. They come up with a medication that detaches the hydrophilic heads from the phospholipids in cytoplasmic membranes. This drug
A) would be highly toxic and completely useless for human beings and could never be used-our cells also have cytoplasmic membranes with hydrophilic head groups!
B) would be highly toxic for human beings if taken orally, but might be useful as a topical antibiotic skin cream. The top layer of skin cells is dead anyway, so it wouldn't matter if this damaged those cells. 
C) would be highly toxic only to bacteria, making it an excellent drug to develop and test further. Humans have a different phospholipid structure in their cytoplasmic membranes from bacteria.
D) would generally not be toxic enough to damage Gram-negative bacteria, as their cytoplasmic membranes lie under a thick layer of peptidoglycan. However, it would be effective against Gram-positive cells.
E) would not work against any bacteria, because they do not have a cytoplasmic membrane; however, it might be effective against helminths and viruses.

A Research Laboratory Is Trying to Produce New Antibiotics