What is one way antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth?

Antibiotics play a crucial role in inhibiting bacterial growth, and one primary mechanism through which they achieve this is by preventing cell wall formation. Bacteria have a unique structure known as the peptidoglycan layer, which is essential for maintaining cell shape and protecting against osmotic pressure. Certain antibiotics, such as penicillin, interfere with the enzymes involved in the synthesis of this peptidoglycan layer. By inhibiting these enzymes, the antibiotics prevent the bacteria from forming a stable cell wall, ultimately leading to cell lysis and death when the bacteria attempt to divide or grow under osmotic stress. This targeted action makes antibiotics effective against many bacterial infections while having limited effects on human cells, which do not possess cell walls. The other options do not accurately describe the mechanism of action of antibiotics in inhibiting bacterial growth.