The nurse is teaching a nursing student about the mechanism by which antimicrobial agents achieve selective toxicity. Which statement by the student indicates a need for further teaching?
A) "Some agents disrupt the bacterial cell wall."
B) "Some agents act to block the conversion of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) to folic acid."
C) "Some agents cause phagocytosis of bacterial cells."
D) "Some agents weaken the cell wall, causing cell wall lysis."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antimicrobial agents do not cause phagocytosis of bacterial cells. They do disrupt and weaken the bacterial cell wall; because human cells do not have cell walls, antimicrobial agents are not toxic to human cells. Some agents block the conversion of PABA to folic acid; humans do not synthesize folic acid and are not harmed by this process.

The Nurse Is Teaching a Nursing Student About the Mechanism