A Gram stain has been done & an antibiotic has been used to kill the bacteria, how does the antibiotic kill it

Answer 1

Depends on the type of antibiotic some will interfere with dna synthesis, some will interfere with glucose absortion thus "starving out" the bacteria and so on

Answer 2

First of all, not all antibiotics actually kill bacteria; many of them just interfere with the bacteria's workings, sort of laming it so that the immune system has a "leg up" on eradicating it.

Some antibiotics--the penicillins and the cephalosporins, for instance--do kill bacteria. Others--the tetracyclines and the macrolides (like erythromycin)--just jam the works a little bit without killing them. They are bacteriocidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics, respectively.

You have to realize, however, that antibiotics do not cure the disease for which they are prescribed: if nothing else, AIDS has taught us that lesson, but many of us knew it before AIDS entered the picture. What the antibiotics do is tip the balance in the immune system's favor.

I often like to make the analogy to modern warfare. Bombing strikes don't really win wars: they just soften up the opponent, making it easier on the ground troops, who really go in there and take the land. Antibiotics are equivalent to the saturation bombing; your immune system is the equivalent to the ground troops. WIthout an immune response, it's virtually impossible to eradicate the infectious agent...

OK, information overdose. Sorry--I just got on my ol' soapbox again...

Answer 3

understanding the bacterial form is considerable there are Gram beneficial and Gram adverse micro organism by way of fact they have distinctive responses to antibiotics Gram adverse bacterial are proof against penicillin, case in point. The gram adverse cells / micro organism have an endotoxin, LPS, that varieties a coating on the outer cellular wall floor and protects the interior cellular systems from invasion. To counter the ineffectiveness of penicillin and lysozymes, antibiotics like ampicillin, nalidyxic acid or chloramphenicol could settle for by way of fact they are in a position to penetrate the defenses (Endotoxin Coating) of a gram adverse micro organism cellular. even with the undeniable fact that, gram beneficial micro organism would properly be neutralized by using the administration of penicillin. that's by way of fact their cellular wall is lacks the endotoxin in evaluation to Gram adverse micro organism. So with this you could % out in the experience that your micro organism is gram beneficial or adverse. Gram adverse under the microscope look pink by way of fact of their skinny coat and endotoxin while the gram beneficial is crimson by way of fact the dye used in the attempt keeps to be on the thick coating. So a Rod Bacilli would be Gram beneficial; even with the undeniable fact that some rod shaped micro organism which incorporate E coli is rod shaped and could be seen bacilli yet they are Gram adverse. purely going off of Rod Bacilli the respond would be to handle it with probable penicillin or something comparable.