Which class of drugs primarily works by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis?

The correct choice identifies beta-lactam antibiotics as the class of drugs that primarily works by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis. These antibiotics, which include penicillins and cephalosporins, target the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) involved in the final stages of peptidoglycan synthesis in bacterial cell walls. By disrupting this process, beta-lactam antibiotics compromise the integrity of the bacterial cell wall, leading to cell lysis and death, particularly in actively growing bacteria.

While tetracyclines are effective antibiotics, they primarily inhibit protein synthesis by targeting the bacterial ribosome, not cell wall synthesis. Macrolides also act on bacterial ribosomes to prevent protein synthesis, and fluoroquinolones interfere with bacterial DNA replication and repair through inhibition of DNA gyrase or topoisomerase IV. Therefore, the action mechanism of these alternatives does not involve the cell wall, distinguishing beta-lactam antibiotics as the clear choice for inhibiting cell wall synthesis.