Explain why a person who has a bacterial infection may be given antibiotics, and why antibiotics would not be effective if the same person also had a viral infection.

Eduqas GCSE Biology — 2.6.3 Medicines and drugs · Explain · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

Antibiotics kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, so they can treat a bacterial infection.

Viruses are not living cells and are not bacteria, so antibiotics have no target or mechanism to act on them and therefore cannot kill a viral infection.

Examiner tips

  • Use the exact phrase "kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria". Mention that viruses are not bacteria. Show the logical link that antibiotics have no target in viruses. Keep answer to 4 points, one per mark.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing antibiotics with antiviral drugs. Saying antibiotics work on viruses. Using vague terms like "kill germs" without specifying bacteria.

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Antibiotics kill/inhibit the growth of bacteria
  2. So antibiotics can treat/clear the bacterial infection
  3. Viruses are not living cells / viruses are not bacteria
  4. Antibiotics have no target / mechanism to act on viruses, so they cannot kill them

Key terms in this question

antibiotics · bacteria · viral infection · bacterial infection

Related

More Medicines and drugs questions

▶ Try answering this question with AI marking (free) →