Which of the following differentiates a bacteriostatic drug from a bactericidal drug?

A. Bacteriostatics are narrow-spectrum drugs, and bactericidal drugs are broad-spectrum: This is not a valid distinction as both bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs can be either narrow or broad-spectrum. B. Bacteriostatics work by inhibiting protein synthesis, and bactericidal drugs work by inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis: This is incorrect because both types of drugs can inhibit protein or nucleic acid synthesis depending on the specific drug. C. Bacteriostatic drugs actually kill bacteria, and bactericidal drugs inhibit bacterial growth: This is incorrect; it states the opposite of the correct differentiation. D. Bacteriostatic drugs inhibit bacterial growth, and bactericidal drugs actually kill bacteria: This is correct. Bacteriostatic drugs prevent the proliferation of bacteria, while bactericidal drugs kill bacteria.