Beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillins and cephalosporins, fight infection by inhibiting development of the causative bacteria. What specific component development do these drugs affect?

Cell wall synthesis

Explanation:

Antibiotics are the compounds that work against bacteria and kills bacteria or slow their growth. Every antibiotic have their own mode of action. Beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillin and cephalosporins work on cell wall synthesis.

They stop the synthesis of peptidoglycan by inhibiting the transpeptidation reaction. So when no new cell wall is added into bacteria, holes creates in the cell wall which allows the free movement of solute inside the bacteria cell that results in osmotic lysis of the bacterial cell. Therefore the right answer is cell wall synthesis.