Which of the following is an important characteristic of antimicrobial drugs?

• A. Selective toxicity toward microbial cells
• B. Ability to inhibit all metabolic processes in the host
• C. Induction of widespread immune suppression
• D. Promotion of rapid microbial resistance

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of selective toxicity, which refers to the ability of an antimicrobial drug to target microbial cells specifically without causing significant harm to the host's cells.
2. Recognize that an important characteristic of antimicrobial drugs is to inhibit or kill microbes while minimizing damage to the host organism, ensuring safety and effectiveness.
3. Evaluate the other options: inhibiting all metabolic processes in the host would be harmful, immune suppression is not a desired effect of antimicrobials, and promoting rapid microbial resistance is a negative consequence rather than a characteristic.
4. Conclude that the key feature making an antimicrobial drug effective and safe is its selective toxicity toward microbial cells.
5. Remember that selective toxicity allows the drug to exploit differences between microbial and host cells, such as differences in cell wall structure or metabolic pathways.