What do antibiotics primarily target?

Antibiotics primarily target bacteria, which is why the correct answer is this option. These medications work by either killing bacteria or inhibiting their growth, making them effective in treating bacterial infections. Antibiotics exploit specific features of bacterial cells, such as their cell wall structure or protein synthesis mechanisms, which are absent in human cells and in other microorganisms like viruses or fungi.

While antibiotics are not effective against viruses, as viruses have entirely different structures and replication processes, they can sometimes be misused in cases of viral infections. Similarly, antifungal medications are used to treat infections caused by fungi, and antiparasitic drugs are designed for parasites. Each type of medication is highly specific to the type of microorganism it is meant to combat, which highlights the targeted action of antibiotics against bacteria specifically.