Protein synthesis inhibitors act at the ribosome level to stop or slow the growth of cells by disrupting protein synthesis. The bacterial ribosome is smaller than the mammalian ribosome, but the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome more closely resembles the bacterial ribosome. As a result, high levels of some protein synthesis inhibitors like chloramphenicol or tetracyclines can cause toxic effects in humans by interacting with mitochondrial ribosomes. Common classes of protein synthesis inhibitors include tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and chloramphenicol.