what is the main functions of antibiotics?

Answer 1

You got quite plenty of specific explanations above. In short the main functions of antibiotics are:
>>to kill or eliminate bacteria (bactericidal action)
and
>>disabling or incapacitating the bacteria to multiply (bacteriostatic action).

Answer 2

the main function of an antibiotic is to get rid of whatever illness is making you sick. so that is why the doctors tell you to finish the whole bottle of the medicine that they give you. so whether it be the flu,cold or another infection. taking your antibiotics is a good idea. that is the best answer I can give you.

Answer 3

An antibiotic is a chemical compound that inhibits or abolishes the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. The original meaning of antibiotic includes any agent with biological activity against living organisms; however, the term is commonly used to refer to substances with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, or anti-parasitical activity. The first antibiotic compounds used in modern medicine were produced and isolated from living organisms, for example, the penicillin class produced by fungi in the genus Penicillium, or streptomycin from bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. With the advent of organic chemistry many antibiotics are now also obtained by chemical synthesis, such as the sulfa drugs. Many antibiotics are relatively small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 Da.


Points of attack on bacteria by antibioticsUnlike previous treatments for infections, which often consisted of administering chemical compounds, such as strychnine and arsenic with high toxicity also against mammals, antibiotics from microbes had no or few side effects and high effective target activity. Most anti-bacterial antibiotics do not have activity against viruses, fungi, or other microbes. Anti-bacterial antibiotics can be categorized based on their target specificity: "narrow-spectrum" antibiotics target particular types of bacteria, such as Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria, while broad-spectrum antibiotics affect a wide range of bacteria.

The effectiveness of individual antibiotics varies with the location of the infection, the ability of the antibiotic to reach the site of infection, and the ability of the microbe to inactivate or excrete the antibiotic. Some anti-bacterial antibiotics destroy bacteria (bactericidal), whereas others prevent bacteria from multiplying (bacteriostatic).

Oral antibiotics are simply ingested, while intravenous antibiotics are used in more serious cases, such as deep-seated systemic infections. Antibiotics may also sometimes be administered topically, as with eye drops or ointments.

Answer 4

Flemming has discoved antibiotic and has got nobel prize for his discovery. He had forgotten a petrish tray before going on holiday and has seen then covered with penicillium (a harmless bacteria) and bacteria. He has seen that where their was the penicillium,their was clean areas with no bacteria. He has studied his discovery on rats that and discovered that these penicillium kills the bacteria in the animals' body thus explaining the clean spots.. He tried it on human and remarked that it also works, the penicillium bacteria attacked and killed nossive bacteria.

Answer 5

An antibiotic is a chemical compound that inhibits or abolishes the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans

Answer 6

main function: antibiotics are use for treatments of diseases which are caused by certain bacteria.

Answer 7

it depends on the antibiotic actually. some inhibit the bacterial growth and some kill the bacteria.

Answer 8

to kill bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. antibiotics are classified as pennicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins, sulfas and a lot more, depending on its action to a certain organism, its chemical class and the organism it specifically attacks

Answer 9

Different ones act in different ways, but one common one is disrupting protein synthesis and thereby disrupting the cell wall of the bacterium.

Answer 10

it kills germ