Antibiotics are targeted to kill ______, and they are not effective against ______.

• A. fungi; bacteria
• B. viruses; protozoa
• C. protozoa; fungi
• D. bacteria; viruses

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the target of antibiotics: Antibiotics are substances that specifically inhibit the growth of or kill bacteria. They work by targeting bacterial structures or metabolic pathways that are not present in other organisms.
2. Recognize what antibiotics are not effective against: Antibiotics do not work against viruses because viruses have a different structure and replication mechanism that antibiotics cannot target.
3. Analyze the options given: The question asks to fill in the blanks for what antibiotics kill and what they are not effective against.
4. Match the correct pair: Since antibiotics kill bacteria and are not effective against viruses, the correct answer is 'bacteria; viruses'.
5. Summarize the concept: Antibiotics are designed to combat bacterial infections, but viral infections require different treatments, such as antiviral drugs.