| What is an Antibiotic | | | | medications in modern medicine. |
| An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of | | | | Some antibiotics are 'bactericidal', meaning that they |
| bacteria. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a | | | | work by killing bacteria. Other antibiotics are |
| larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, | | | | 'bacteriostatic', meaning that they work by stopping |
| and anti-parasitic drugs. Antibiotics are chemicals | | | | bacteria multiplying. |
| produced by or derived from microorganisms (i.e. bugs | | | | Each different type of antibiotic affects different |
| or germs such as bacteria and fungi). The first | | | | bacteria in different ways. For example, an antibiotic |
| antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 | | | | might inhibit a bacterium's ability to turn glucose into |
| in a significant breakthrough for medical science. | | | | energy, or its ability to construct its cell wall. When this |
| Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed | | | | happens, the bacterium dies instead of reproducing. |