Antibiotics are designed to slow the growth of or kill bacteria. They are drugs that are derived from or chemically produced by microorganism like bugs, fungi or bacteria. They are just one class of antimicrobials, a larger group of drugs which also contains anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and anti-viral medications.
Do antibiotics kill specific bacteria?
Antibiotics do kill specific bacteria. Some viruses cause symptoms that resemble bacterial infections, and some bacteria can cause symptoms that resemble viral infections. Your healthcare provider can determine what type of illness you have and recommend the proper type of treatment.
What are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria and are used to treat bacterial infections. They are produced in nature by soil bacteria and fungi.
What are antimicrobial agents?
Antimicrobial agents are classically grouped into 2 main categories based on their in vitro effect on bacteria: bactericidal and bacteriostatic. Common teaching often explains that bactericidal antibiotics "kill" bacteria and bacteriostatic antibiotics "prevent growth" of bacteria. The true definition is not so simple.
What is the importance of microorganisms in medicine?
Various microorganisms hold medical significance, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Antibiotics are compounds that target bacteria and, thus, are intended to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Antibiotics are common agents used in modern healthcare. This was not always the case.
What is the purpose of antibiotics?
Antibiotics are chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria and are used to treat bacterial infections. They are produced in nature by soil bacteria and fungi. This gives the microbe an advantage when competing for food and water and other limited resources in a particular habitat, as the antibiotic kills off their competition.
What happens when you treat a patient with antibiotics?
Treating a patient with antibiotics causes the microbes to adapt or die; this is known as ‘selective pressure’. If a strain of a bacterial species acquires resistance to an antibiotic, it will survive the treatment. As the bacterial cell with acquired resistance multiplies, this resistance is passed on to its offspring.
Why are some bacteria resistant to antibiotics?
Some bacteria are naturally resistant to some antibiotics due to their physiological characteristics. This is inherent resistance. Acquired resistance occurs when a bacterium that was originally sensitive to an antibiotic develops resistance.
How long does it take for a bacterial cell to divide?
In ideal conditions some bacterial cells can divide every 20 minutes; therefore after only 8 hours in excess of 16 million bacterial cells carrying resistance to that antibiotic could exist.
Why do bacteria prevent their cells from multiplying?
They can prevent the bacterial cells from multiplying so that the bacterial population remains the same , allowing the host’s defence mechanism to fight the infection or kill the bacteria, for example stopping the mechanism responsible for building their cell walls.
Is penicillin a broad spectrum antibiotic?
Tetracycline is effective against a wide range of organisms and is known as a broad spectrum antibiotic.
When to take antibiotics as directed?
When antibiotics are appropriately prescribed, it is important to take them as directed on your prescription and to complete the full course of treatment. That often means continuing to take the antibiotics as directed when you feel better.
Why do antibiotics not work?
They do not work when an infection is caused by viruses, fungi or yeasts. As mentioned, most common infections are caused by viruses when an antibiotic will not be of use. Even if you have a bacterial infection, the immune system can clear most bacterial infections.
What is an example of a herpes medicine?
Another example is aciclovir and related medicines which are used to treat certain herpes virus infections. As a rule, antiviral medicines do not clear the virus from the body. They usually work by stopping the virus from multiplying and so 'control' the virus and the infection that it causes.
What are the most common illnesses caused by viruses?
Many different types exist. Most of the common 'minor' illnesses are caused by viruses. For example, colds, coughs, sore throats, chickenpox and some other rashes. Most common infections in the community are due to a viral infection. Viral infections are much more common than bacterial ...
Is a viral infection more common than a fungal infection?
Viral infections are much more common than bacterial and fungal infections. For many viral infections there are no effective antiviral medicines (unlike antibiotics for bacteria). Fortunately, the immune system in the body usually fights off most viral infections within a few days. Taking 'symptomatic' treatments for a high temperature (fever) ...
Can antibiotics kill bacteria?
Antibiotics can kill off normal 'defence' bacteria which live in the bowel and vagina. This may then allow other infections - for example, thrush - to develop. Overuse of antibiotics has led to some bacteria mutating and becoming resistant to some antibiotics which may then not work when really needed.
Where are parasitic infections most common?
Parasitic infections are more common in the tropics and subtropics. They can occur in the UK but the serious infections are more typically seen in people who have weakened immune systems (for example, those with HIV or those people taking chemotherapy for types of cancer).
How effective are antibiotics?
Antibiotics can be more effective as a combination treatment displaying either an additive effect (effect equal to sum of treatments) or a synergistic effect (effect greater than sum of treatments); the combination can also be antagonistic, i.e., the effect of the combination treatment is less than the effect of the respective single-drug treatments 136. Technological advances have allowed for high-throughput quantification of drug-drug interactions at the level of cell survival and target binding, thereby opening the door for the systematic study of synergistic and antagonistic combinations137.
Which antibiotics inhibit synthesis?
Additionally, antibiotics that inhibit the synthesis (e.g., Fosfomycin) and transport (e.g., Bacitracin) of individual PG units are also currently in use, as are lipopeptides (e.g., daptomycin) which affect structural integrity via their ability to insert into the cell membrane and induce depolarization.
What is the role of quinolone antibiotics in DNA supercoiling?
a) Quinolone antibiotics interfere with changes in DNA supercoiling by binding to topoisomerase II or IV. This leads to the formation of double-stranded DNA breaks and cell death in either a protein synthesis dependent or protein synthesis independent fashion.
What is the first line of treatment for tuberculosis?
Notably, rifamycins are among the first-line therapies used against Mycobacteria tuberculosis due to their efficient induction of cell death in mycobacterial species 50, although rifamycins are often used in combinatorial therapies owing to the rapid nature of resistance development 49, 51.
How do tetracyclines work?
Tetracyclines work by blocking the access of aminoacyl-tRNAs to the ribosome92. The aminocyclitol class is comprised of spectinomycin and the aminoglycoside family of antibiotics (for example, streptomycin, kanamycin and gentamicin), which bind the 16S rRNA component of the 30S ribosome subunit.
What is the process of bacterial cell death?
Antibiotic-mediated cell death, however, is a complex process that begins with the physical interaction between a drug molecule and its bacterial-specific target, and involves alterations to the affected bacterium at the biochemical, molecular and ultrastructural levels.
When was penicillin first discovered?
Since the discovery of penicillin was reported in 1929 2, other, more effective antimicrobials have been discovered and developed by elucidation of drug-target interactions, and by drug molecule modification. These efforts have significantly enhanced our clinical armamentarium.
What are antibiotics used for?
What are antibiotics? Antibiotics are powerful medicines used to treat certain illnesses. However, antibiotics do not cure everything, and unnecessary antibiotics can even be harmful. There are 2 main types of germs that cause most infections.
What to do if your child is on antibiotics?
If your child receives an antibiotic, be sure to give it exactly as prescribed to decrease the development of resistant bacteria. Have your child finish the entire prescription. Don't stop when the symptoms of infection go away. Never save the left over antibiotics to use "just in case.".
Why are some diseases becoming impossible to treat?
Because of these resistant bacteria, some diseases that used to be easy to treat are now becoming nearly impossible to treat. Bacteria can develop resistance to certain medicines: Medicine resistance happens when bacteria develop ways to survive the use of medicines meant to kill or weaken them.
Do antibiotics kill viruses?
These are viruses and bacteria. Antibiotics cannot kill viruses or help you feel better when you have a virus. Antibiotics do kill specific bacteria. Some viruses cause symptoms that resemble bacterial infections, and some bacteria can cause symptoms that resemble viral infections.
Can you share antibiotics with someone else?
This practice can also lead to bacterial resistance. Do not share your antibiotics with someone else or take an antibiotic that was prescribed for someone else. Antibiotic resistance is a problem in both children and adults.
Can a germ become resistant to medicine?
If a germ becomes resistant to many medicines, treating the infections can become difficult or even impossible. Someone with an infection that is resistant to a certain medicine can pass that resistant infection to another person. In this way, a hard-to-treat illness can be spread from person to person.
Can antibiotics make you resistant to medicine?
A common misconception is that a person's body becomes resistant to specific medicines. However, it is the bacteria, not people, that become resistant to the medicines. Each time you take or give your child an antibiotic unnecessarily or improperly, you increase the chance of developing medicine-resistant bacteria.
Why is microbiology dependent on technology?
Because individual microbes are generally too small to be seen with the naked eye, the science of microbiology is dependent on technology that can artificially enhance the capacity of our natural senses of perception. Early microbiologists like Pasteur and Koch had fewer tools at their disposal than are found in modern laboratories, making their discoveries and innovations that much more impressive. Later chapters of this text will explore many applications of technology in depth, but for now, here is a brief overview of some of the fundamental tools of the microbiology lab.
How did ancient civilizations understand that diseases could be transmitted?
Several ancient civilizations appear to have had some understanding that disease could be transmitted by things they could not see. This is especially evident in historical attempts to contain the spread of disease. For example, the Bible refers to the practice of quarantining people with leprosy and other diseases, suggesting that people understood that diseases could be communicable. Ironically, while leprosy is communicable, it is also a disease that progresses slowly. This means that people were likely quarantined after they had already spread the disease to others.
What did prehistoric people do to treat diseases?
While many believed that illness was punishment for angering the gods or was simply the result of fate, archaeological evidence suggests that prehistoric people attempted to treat illnesses and infections. One example of this is Ötzi the Iceman, a 5300-year-old mummy found frozen in the ice of the Ötzal Alps on the Austrian-Italian border in 1991. Because Ötzi was so well preserved by the ice, researchers discovered that he was infected with the eggs of the parasite Trichuris trichiura, which may have caused him to have abdominal pain and anaemia. Researchers also found evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease. [3] Some researchers think Ötzi may have been trying to treat his infections with the woody fruit of the Piptoporus betulinus fungus, which was discovered tied to his belongings. [4] This fungus has both laxative and antibiotic properties. Ötzi was also covered in tattoos that were made by cutting incisions into his skin, filling them with herbs, and then burning the herbs. There is speculation that this may have been another attempt to treat his health ailments.
What is the golden age of microbiology?
While the “Golden Age of Microbiology” focused on the identification of medically-relevant microbes, the same era witnessed the beginnings of the field of microbial ecology. In the late 19th century, Sergei Winogradsky (Figure 1.7) studied the sulphur-oxidizing bacterium Beggiatoa and rather than focusing his studies on pure cultures, he used lab-based ecosystems (microcosms) which became known as Winogradsky columns. These are still used today in many undergraduate microbiology laboratory courses. Through his studies, Winogradsky established the concepts of autotrophy (fixing CO 2 into biomass) and lithotrophy (literally “rock eating”, meaning organisms like Beggiatoa, that obtain their energy from inorganic molecules). Around the turn of the 20th century, Martinus Beijerinck (Figure 1.7) developed enrichment culture techniques. Using a synthetic medium lacking any added nitrogen source, Beijerinck isolated the bacterium Azotobacter for the first time, exploiting its relatively rare ability to use atmospheric N 2 as a sole source of nitrogen (an element in proteins and nucleic acids, among other cell structures). His technique for enriching and isolating Azotobacter is another laboratory exercise used in many undergraduate microbiology lab courses.
What are the major targets of antimicrobial agents?
List the five major targets of antimicrobial agents. 1) inhibition of cell wall synthesis 2) inhibition of nucleic acid structure and function 3) inhibition of protein synthesis 4) interference with cell membrane structure and function. 5) inhibition of folic acid synthesis.
What is the main goal of antimicrobial treatment?
Main goal of antimicrobial treatment. To administer a drug to an infected person that destroys the infective agent without harming the host's cells. Identify the sources for most commonly used antimicrobials. Antibiotics are common metabolic products of aerobic bacteria and fungi.
How do microbes acquire antimicrobial resistance?
Discuss two possible ways that microbes acquire antimicrobial resistance. 1) spontaneous mutations in critical . chromosomal genes, 2) acquisition of entire new genes or sets of genes via horizontal transfer from another species. List five cellular or structural mechanisms that microbes use to resist antimicrobials.
What are the products of aerobic bacteria?
Antibiotics are common metabolic products of aerobic bacteria and fungi. They are produced to inhibit the growth of competing microbes in the same habitat. Derived from bacteria in the genera Streptomyces and Bacillus, and from molds in the genera Penicillium and Cephalosporium.
What are the three major targets of action of antiviral drugs?
List the three major targets of action of antiviral drugs. 1) barring penetration of the virus into the host cell 2) blocking transcription and translation of viral molecules 3) preventing maturation of viral particles. Discuss two possible ways that microbes acquire antimicrobial resistance.
What are the side effects of antimicrobials?
Side effects of drugs: direct damage to tissues, allergic reactions, disruption of normal biota. Hemotoxic. a drug that adversely affects the blood-forming tissues. Hepatotoxic.
How do drugs targeting folic acid synthesis work?
Explain how drugs targeting folic acid synthesis work. These drugs (Sufonamides) interfere with folate metabolism by blocking enzymes required for the synthesis of tetrahydrofolate, which is needed by cells for folic acid synthesis and eventual production of DNA, RNA, and amino acid s. Discuss how treatment of biofilm infections differs from that ...
How Do Antibiotics Work
Antibiotic Resistance
- Bacteria are termed drug-resistant when they are no longer inhibited by an antibiotic to which they were previously sensitive. The emergence and spread of antibacterial-resistant bacteria has continued to grow due to both the over-use and misuse of antibiotics. Treating a patient with antibiotics causes the microbes to adapt or die; this is known a...
How Is Resistance Spread?
- Antibiotic resistance can either be inherent or acquired. Some bacteria are naturally resistant to some antibiotics due to their physiological characteristics. This is inherent resistance. Acquired resistance occurs when a bacterium that was originally sensitive to an antibiotic develops resistance. For example resistance genes can be transferred from one plasmid to another plas…