Antibiotics

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either of these functions,
antibiotics must be brought into contact 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, ...

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merely provide favorable conditions for
the organisms to do the work and then they collect the drug. For example,
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 25øC 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 ...

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