Topic Summaries

Antibiotics

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Plant disease and monoclonal antibodies

The brain and the eye

Species and classification

Food supply and biotechnology

  • Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial diseases. For example, penicillin is an antibiotic produced by a fungus, which kills bacteria by weakening their cell walls so they burst.
  • Some antibiotics alter bacterial enzymes. Others stop bacteria from reproducing.
  • Specific antibiotics are used to kill specific bacteria, and they cannot kill viruses.
  • Antibiotics have greatly reduced deaths from bacterial diseases.
  • Some strains of bacteria have evolved resistance to antibiotics.
  • Over-prescription of antibiotics has contributed to the emergence of these resistant strains. Drug companies are constantly researching new antibiotics or alternatives for resistant strains.

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