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Concept

Antibiotic

Antibiotic

A medicine that kills or inhibits susceptible bacteria; antibiotics do not treat viral infections.

Overview

EXPLORE BY LEVEL

Antibiotics act against bacteria. They do not work against , and taking them when they are not needed can contribute to resistance spreading.

Quick Facts

AT A GLANCE
TopicMicrobiology & Immunity

Follow the Connections

See how Antibiotic links to other biological records.

Open network
ProcessAntimicrobial Resistanceselected by
All 1 Structured Connections
Antimicrobial Resistance · ProcessSELECTED BY →Antibiotic · Concept

Recommended Reading

Trusted references for learning more about Antibiotic.

guideOrigins of Antibiotic ResistanceHHMI BioInteractive textbookStructure of Prokaryotes: Bacteria and ArchaeaOpenStax Biology 2e
Research Claims

Antimicrobial activity is agent- and isolate-specific. Susceptibility testing, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical indication determine whether an antibiotic can be effective.