Antibiotics

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with the bacteria.

It is believed that antibiotics interfere with the surface of bacteria cells, causing a change in their ability to reproduce. Testing the action of an antibiotic in the laboratory shows how much exposure to the drug is necessary to halt reproduction or to kill the bacteria. Although a large amount of an antibiotic taken at one time might kill the bacteria causing an illness, such a dose usually would make the person suffer from illness caused by the drug. Therefore, antibiotics are given in a series of smaller amounts. This assures that the bacteria are either killed or reduced enough in numbers so that the body can repel them. When too little antibiotic is taken, bacteria can often develop methods to protect themselves against it . The next time the antibiotic is needed against these bacteria, it will not be effective.

Taking in Antibiotics.

To work against infecting organisms, an antibiotic can be applied externally, such as to a cut on the skin�s surface, or ...

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mold organisms are placed in a medium (a substance used for the growth of microorganisms) such as corn steep liquor to which milk sugar has been added. This forms a broth that is put into a tank, which is kept at a temperature of 25�C and shaken for more than 100 hours. The mold organisms grow rapidly in this warm soup, producing penicillin as they do so. The penicillin is later extracted.

Synthetic. All penicillin types have an identical chemical nucleus called a ring. The chemical chain that is attached to the ring is different in each type. By changing the molecules of the chain, scientists devise drugs with potentially different effects on different organisms. Some of these drugs ...

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