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Name: Bushrah
Status: Student
Age: 18
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: August 2004
Question:
Please could you tell me how disinfectants kill bacteria. What do they do to the cell wall and how.


Replies:
Dear Bushrah:

There are 2 other fairly recent answers to similar questions from several of our expert molecular biologists, although the "Scientific American" link cited prominently in the 1st is no longer active, unfortunately:

Killing Bacteria - http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/mole00/mole00138.htm

Disinfectant and Bacteria - http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/mole00/mole00303.htm

I hope that these resources are helpful for you,

Jeff Buzby, Ph.D.
CHOC Research Institute
NEWTON AAS
Div. of Educational Programs
Argonne National Laboratory


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