A chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth without harming body cells is called what?

A chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth without harming body cells is called what?

• A. Antibiotic
• B. Virus
• C. Microorganism
• D. Diagnosis

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the term for a chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth while sparing body cells: an antibiotic. Antibiotics work by exploiting differences between bacterial cells and human cells—for example, they may disrupt the bacterial cell wall or ribosomes, which are distinct from human ones—allowing them to stop bacteria without harming our own cells. The other options don’t fit: a virus is not a chemical and antibiotics don’t kill viruses; a microorganism is any living organism (not specifically a treatment); and a diagnosis is the process of identifying a disease, not a chemical.

The main idea is the term for a chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth while sparing body cells: an antibiotic. Antibiotics work by exploiting differences between bacterial cells and human cells—for example, they may disrupt the bacterial cell wall or ribosomes, which are distinct from human ones—allowing them to stop bacteria without harming our own cells. The other options don’t fit: a virus is not a chemical and antibiotics don’t kill viruses; a microorganism is any living organism (not specifically a treatment); and a diagnosis is the process of identifying a disease, not a chemical.