SB5 Flashcards
What are antibiotics?
Substances that slow down or stop the growth of bacteria.
What can antibiotics be taken for?
To cure diseases by killing pathogens, but they only cure bacterial diseases and not viral ones.
What is penicillin?
The first antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.
What did Alexander Fleming notice?
He noticed that some bacteria he had left in a Petri dish had been killed by the naturally occurring penicillium mould.
How do antibiotics work?
Antibiotics damage the bacterial cells by inhibiting their cellular processes, but they do not damage host cells.
Why are there different types of antibiotics?
Because different bacteria cause different diseases. One antibiotic may only work against one type of bacteria, or a few types. This means that a range of antibiotics is needed for the treatment of the whole range of bacterial diseases.
