Description

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Tetracycline is a bacteriostatic antibiotic, which means it inhibits the growth and reproduction of bacteria, rather than destroying them completely. It achieves this by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit of bacteria, preventing the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA and thus inhibiting protein synthesis.
The binding affinity of tetracycline to the 30S ribosomal subunit is relatively weak, which allows it to easily dissociate and re-bind to different ribosomes. This characteristic is crucial in providing broad-spectrum coverage, as it enables tetracycline to act on a wide variety of bacteria.
However, over time, bacteria can develop resistance to tetracycline through various mechanisms. One of the most common ways is the production of proteins that bind to tetracycline before it can reach the ribosome. This decreases the amount of tetracycline available to bind to the ribosome and reduces its effectiveness.