How do antibiotics treat infection?

Antibiotics treat infections primarily by disrupting the processes that bacteria need to survive and multiply. The correct answer focuses on the mechanism through which certain antibiotics inhibit bacterial protein synthesis, which is crucial for bacterial growth and function.

Bacteria rely on proteins for various essential functions, including cellular structure, enzyme activity, and metabolic processes. Antibiotics that target protein synthesis, often referred to as protein synthesis inhibitors, bind to the bacterial ribosomes, impeding their ability to produce proteins. This leads to a halt in bacterial growth and replication, effectively treating the infection by reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria in the body.

The other options do not accurately describe the primary actions of antibiotics. While enhancing the immune response is a function of certain vaccines and immunomodulators, it is not a primary characteristic of antibiotics. Increasing bacterial metabolism or promoting bacterial growth are against the fundamental purpose of antibiotics, which is to eliminate or inhibit bacteria rather than support their proliferation. Thus, the correct answer illustrates a key method through which antibiotics exert their therapeutic effects against bacterial infections.