Antimicrobial Agents Essay

There are various target sites within the bacterial chemistry that are elicited in the action of the antimicrobial agents. As such, this paper seeks to evaluate the different antimicrobial agents and their modes of action. There are various classes of antimicrobial agents that are used in the treatment of various diseases. Among these are Antibiotics, which are used to treat bacterial infections, antivirals, which are used to treat viral infections, antifungals for fungal infections and antiprotozoals for parasites and protozoa (Shoenfeld, & Rose, 2014). Each of these classes of drugs has several subgroups that have different mechanisms of action. Given this difference, these antimicrobial agents selectively inhibit protein synthesis in the bacterial cells through a number of ways. Microlides, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines are fashioned to covalently bind to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome.

Similarly, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, quinupristin-dalfoprostin and others like linezolid act by binding to the bacterial isoleucinyl t-RNA synthetase. Clindamycin also binds to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, thus terminating certain steps necessary for the transcription of various proteins in the bacteria, thus limiting their survival. Interference with Nucleic Acid Synthesis The fluoroquinolones are known to exert an antibacterial effect by inhibition and interference with nucleic acid synthesis. (Executive Producer). As such, the treatment of bacterial infections by use of the various antibiotics essentially eliminates the bacterial cells from the body and offers immunity, while the bacterial infections cannot be eliminated by medications. The body often needs to create its own immunity against such infections, and the medications offered are essential to slow the viruses down for the immune system to act or treat the symptoms.