# Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections. Explain why antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections.

> Eduqas GCSE Biology — 3.3 Treating, curing and preventing disease · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Antibiotics target/kill bacteria (or target bacterial cell structures/processes)
2. Viruses do not have the same structures/processes as bacteria (e.g. no cell wall, no ribosomes of the same type)
3. Viruses reproduce/replicate inside the host's own cells
4. So antibiotics would damage/harm the host's cells if they targeted viruses / it is difficult to destroy viruses without harming the host

## Key terms

- [antibiotic](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/antibiotic)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Eduqas GCSE Biology](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/antibiotics-are-medicines-used-to-treat-ca67bc71) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.