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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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also , when bacteria die ... what do they become ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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how does bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself .
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do they evolve so fast in short period of time , and pass down the trait genetically to the new generations despite short life span ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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are some antibiotics toxic to humans ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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if not , why is penicillin seen as the first big break through with regard to antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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so , why antibiotics doesnot use to destroy cancer ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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under the section `` what are antibiotic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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how exactly does a bacteria grow resistance to any antibiotic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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and how does our body make sure to not breakdown the antibiotic to simpler compounds and how does the antibiotic know where to go ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark .
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so if it takes that long for researchers to find a antibiotic could there be a new bacteria that no antibiotic could get rid of would it just wipe out the whole human race if the bacteria is bad enough ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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why do n't antibiotics harm super-bugs ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what class of antibiotics do azithromycin and clarithromycin belong to ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells .
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how do you pronounce chloramphenicol ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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how did alexander end up making the pill form ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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is there any antibiotics that had no side effect ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” .
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if penicillin was discovered by an accident , why cant we just retrace alexander flemmings steps but while in the process , throw in a different type of antibiotic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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even though we use antibiotic products ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives .
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it is extremely helpful , although ... do you think anybody has found a cure for ebola yet ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources !
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are there any new antibiotics yet undiscovered ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class .
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so is the reason behind the tapering off of new discoveries in the past few decades because we 've been putting less money and human effort into it , or do we think there simply are n't that many new antibiotic compounds out there to discover ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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what if we created an antibiotic that would maybe stay in the blood stream and would be benign unless it came into contact with something like a cancer cell , which in that case would then destroy/change it back into a normal cell ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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why is n't pronticil mentioned ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources !
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what if the bacteria gets immune to all kinds of antibiotics and there are no other new antibiotic to fight the bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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does that mean that humans would die due to their is no more antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes .
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are humans able to form some sort of protection against the bacteria over decades due to evolution ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what antibiotics can harm you ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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what is an antibiotic resistance ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in the final paragraph it is mentioned that if bacteria become resistant to ampicillin it would be resistant to other antibiotics in that family similarly if i am allergic to penicillin would i also be allergic to ampicillin or other similar antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what is the root for antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives .
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and this next one seems a bit simple-minded but if penicillin is the same as bread mold then can i just consume moldy bread for it to act as an antibiotic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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i have heard that mould on bread is toxic and since penicillin is mould is n't that bad for you ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ?
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and when it does eventually become immune , does it only affect the person that 's been taking too many pills , or does that entire bacteria become immune to that drug ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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does the immune system do the same thing penicillin does but slower ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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how does your immune system kill bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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what exactly is the antibiotic called salvarsan ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells .
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can you use medicine on parasites or worms ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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have we miss used antibiotics before ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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why ca n't we use a microbe which is a parasite to the bacteria , which in turn can be used to kill it ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ?
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the text mentions `` azithromycin '' can someone tell me the prefix/suffix meanings ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells .
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is mycin 'pertaining to muscle ' ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark .
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how many natural antibiotics we can find ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria !
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what happens if we take medicines empty-stomached ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” .
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seeing as in his experiments , alexander fleming noticed how quickly the bacteria grew immune to antibiotics , have scientists figured out an approximate date when we shall have to turn to something `` more reliable '' than penicillin ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ?
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how are we going to treat the diseases , caused by super bugs ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ?
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if a person become resistant to an antibiotic , how long he remain resistant to that particular antibiotic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics .
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how would someone who is interested in becoming a scientist who looks for cures for diseases become one ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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if you were to have a prosthetic hip and you got an infection there from bacteria would the antibiotics also erode the prosthetic ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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i wonder if human 's abuse of antibiotics throughout the years propels the evolution of those pathogenic bacterias ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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and does that mean that this `` juice '' is a key ingredient in antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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which types of antibiotic has lower selective toxicity ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection .
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is it protein synthesis , cell wall synthesis , cell membrane synthesis , folic acid synthesis or dna replication ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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can you please explain why your immune system has to be such a pest sometimes ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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are antibiotics made of just 1 chemical , or multiple ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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i want to know that how i can identify a penicillin under microscope ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ?
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what if the medicen attacks human cells ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme .
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what 's the difference between a antibiotic and antivirus ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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why antibiotics do n't attack viruses ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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it has no cellular organisms but it produces enzymes to replicate and has a specific protein coat as well as bacteria..wo n't i be able to produce antibiotics using this same weak points like bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g .
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how can a bacteria cause disease when it moves from its original positions ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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so what exactly ca n't penicillin cure ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria .
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also what is penicillin and azithromycin made of ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells .
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so how do i kill viruses , parasites and fungi ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments .
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how were so many antibiotics discovered in the 1940s-70s ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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also , how do antibiotics know to only destroy harmful bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells .
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so only bind to bacterial cell and not antibiotics , viruses , fungi , or parasites ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ?
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why is salvarsan not used and what is the side effect on human n bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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q1 : does consumption of small amounts of bluish-green bread mold introduce small amounts of antibiotics to our body ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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q2 : if so , would consumption of this mold contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics of that class ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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why do some antibiotics kill the good bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark .
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how do they even make antibodies ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g .
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why do n't we just use other bacteria to heal us if we have good bacteria in us ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what will happen if a deadly bactria learns to resist the antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” .
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we would need some type of super antibiotic right ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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how many antibodies are contained in each standard 45 gram antibiodic pil ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ?
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what if the antibiotic cells accidentally attack not the infection , but your body instead ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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bacteria , immune system , antibiotic medicine is a liquid ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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but in future if antibiotics become toxic then what other medicines people can use ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines .
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so ... are your blood cells or anything effected if you have type 2 diabetes ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells .
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what is the most common medicine in the world and which is the cheapest ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives .
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in the 6th paragraph , did mr.fleming discover the antibiotic by accident ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what about pro-antibiotics and what is the difference ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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why ca n't antibiotics kill fungi ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources !
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why ca n't researchers just develop a antibiotic that 's not from nature or combine common antibiotics together ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin .
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what antibiotics can defend against or kill antibiotic resistant bacteria , or mrsa ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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how does the penicillin survive the digestive tract ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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what happens when someone you know is allergic to penicillin ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources !
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i want to know that totally how many antibiotics ( types or classes ) are there ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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how do antibiotics find a bacterial infection ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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why do n't they kill all of the bacteria in the stomach and eventually run out before hitting the infection ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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are leafs like me antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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are antibiotics being currently used in the treatment of water ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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what would happen if you consume more than the necessary amount of antibiotics ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines .
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has any anti-biotic harmed the body by destroying our own cells due to mistakes ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult .
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do they have an antibiotic called amoxicillin ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ?
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if bacteria grows on a fungus , how would the antibiotic kill the bacteria , with out killing the fungus to get to the bacteria ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) .
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i though we need protein in our bodies why would antibiotic destroy them ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply .
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if more no of antibiotics are taken what happens ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g .
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will there ever be a pill in which it kills parasites , bacteria , and viruses ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab .
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for penicillin it can handle the infection or not ?
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antibiotics are a type of medicine which are used to treat bacterial infections . everyday we come into contact with thousands of bacterial cells . we are colonized with lots of different types of bacteria which live on us , and inside of us ; everywhere from the grooves of your fingerprint , to the nooks and crannies of your intestines . if you count up all of the bacteria , they actually outnumber us ( by `` us '' we mean our human cells ) about 10 to 1 . to stay healthy , we need to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria , called normal flora ( not all bacteria is bad ! ) , while selectively getting rid of the harmful , “ pathogenic ” bacteria which can cause an infection . pathogenic bacteria is a relative term . some bacteria can cause illness in you no matter what . other bacteria cause illness when they wander from their normal location ( e.g . intestines ) and try to live in a new location ( e.g . bladder ) , which is what happens when you develop a urinary tract infection ( uti ) . the body ’ s immune system responds to an infection by trying to fight and destroy the invading bacteria ! what are antibiotics ? to help the immune system , we sometimes use antibiotics , which are chemicals ( specifically a swarm of small molecules ) that enter and stick to important parts ( think of targets ) of the bacterial cell , and interfere with its ability to survive and multiply . if the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic , then they will stop growing or simply die . these important parts include : proteins/sugars in the bacterial wall important enzymes that make new bacterial dna or proteins when an antibiotic molecule sticks to its target , it will disable or destroy that protein or enzyme . if enough of the antibiotic is present , the bacterial cell is crippled and either stops growing ( bacterio-static effect ) or simply dies ( bacteri-cidal effect ) . just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ? back in 1928 ( right before the great depression ) , alexander fleming first discovered the antibiotic penicillin when he noticed that bacteria in his lab wouldn ’ t grow near some fungus , which had accidentally found its way into his experiments . the fungus was making a small molecule which leaked into the petri gel around it , and fleming called the stuff - “ mold juice ” . he realized that the mold juice was killing the bacteria in the area ! the next big surprise for mr. fleming came when he later found out that the fungus was the same bluish-green fungus that grows on old bread . the discovery earned him the nobel prize in 1945 , and helped humanity develop a key antibiotic which has saved countless lives . in his nobel prize acceptance speech , fleming warned the world of the dangers of misusing antibiotics . he had already noted bacteria in his lab becoming resistant to penicillin , just a few years after its discovery ! after decades of antibiotic misuse , today we find ourselves facing bacteria which has become resistant to most , if not all antibiotics . how do antibiotics work ? let 's take a look at a couple of examples of antibiotics : penicillin and azithromycin . penicillin penicillin is a fabulous antibiotic because it is n't toxic to humans at concentrations that can kill bacteria and it can kill a lot of different types of bacteria . so how does it work ? penicillin weakens the bacterial wall by : deactivating a bacterial enzyme ( transpeptidase ) that builds and repairs the bacteria wall . activating a bacterial enzyme ( autolysin ) that cuts open parts of the bacterial wall , an enzyme normally only activated when the bacteria is multiplying . in short , penicillin causes the bacteria to weaken its own cell wall ( imagine being forced to punch yourself ! ) , and prevents the bacteria from being able to repair itself . with a weak wall , water seeps in , and the bacteria swells up and explodes . azithromycin azithromycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is often used to treat a wide variety of infections ; everything from pneumonia to sexually transmitted diseases . so how does it work ? azithromycin prevents the bacteria from multiplying by : blocking the cell 's ability to create proteins by attaching to ribosomes in the cell . in short , azithromycin prevents bacteria from multiplying , making it much easier for the immune system to handle the infection . antibiotic development over the years , a number of antibiotics have been discovered in nature or synthesized in the lab . some antibiotics target only specific bacteria and are called “ narrow spectrum ” antibiotics , whereas other antibiotics target many types of bacteria and are called “ broad spectrum ” antibiotics . developing completely new classes of antibiotics ( as opposed to variations on existing antibiotics ) is very difficult . it ’ s easy to find chemicals that kill bacteria , but not so easy to find substances that could be used as medicines , even if researchers were given infinite resources ! researchers are basically shooting in the dark . in fact , the most recent discovery of a novel antibiotic class was in 1987 , almost 30 years ago ( silver , l. , 2011 ) ! while there are a few new antibiotics currently in development , researchers don ’ t know if they ’ ll ever become usable as medicine . this void in the discovery of new antibiotics is problematic . when a bacteria becomes resistant to a specific drug within a drug class , it gains some level of resistance to drugs within the same class . for example , if a bacteria became resistant to ampicillin , it would also have some level of resistance to other penicillin-like antibiotics .
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just to be clear , antibiotics don ’ t affect viruses , fungi , or parasites - they only bind to bacterial cell targets so they only affect bacterial cells . in fact , they specifically target bacteria rather than human cells . how were antibiotics discovered ?
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how do probiotics only target good bacteria ?
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