How and why can some metals like copper be antibacterial?
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It is important to remember that bacteria and cells aren’t like us. Humans, and most multicellular creatures, have a layer of skin as protection. This prevents harmful chemicals from getting inside of us and doing damage.
Bacteria don’t really have skin. They have a membrane which constantly passes chemicals through it. A good analogy is that we have a mouth, a butt hole, and a lot of skin. Bacteria don’t have the skin so they are 100% mouth and butt hole everywhere.
There are things that we can touch but not put in our mouths. Since bacteria are 100% mouths, touching something is exactly the same as putting it in their mouth.
The second big thing to remember is that all living things are essentially just chemical processes. You put two molecules next to each other and things start to happen. All living things are essentially the universe’s largest Rübe Goldberg machines.
So, what happens is that when the bacteria touch the copper they, effectively, put it in their mouths and the copper atoms go in and wreak havoc on the carefully balanced chemical dancer inside the cell.
Anti-microbial surfaces of all types work by either being so slippery that bacteria can’t hold onto them or toxic to bacteria in this way.
As to how chemicals can interfere in the cell. The process of chemical reactions in a cell is similar to a lock and key. “Toxic” chemicals are usually ones that fit a lock in a cell better than the actual key. Once they fit into the lock, the real key can’t go in and the chemical chain that keeps the living cell/bacteria stops running.
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