Antibiotics
Science: KS3, topic 1.6.38
Antibiotics
Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are drugs developed to cure infections caused by bacteria. Some antibiotics work by destroying the cell wall of the bacteria so that they can't replicate.
Antibiotics do not affect viruses
- Antibiotics do not destroy viruses because viruses stay inside host cells and are not living cells.
Antibiotics are specific
- Specific antibiotics are prescribed by medical doctors for specific diseases.
- The use of antibiotics has greatly reduced the number of deaths from infectious bacterial diseases.
Test yourself on Antibiotics
What type of organism causes the infections that antibiotics are designed to cure?
Select the true statement in each pair
Which drug is an antibiotic?
A patient has an illness caused by a virus. Why would a doctor not prescribe an antibiotic to cure it?