Saving life with antibiotics
The second half of the twentieth century can be called an antibiotic era and it is no exaggeration: the number of lives saved by antibiotics, have long crossed the one billion! About their miraculous power there are a lot of legends, but the blasphemy against them, we hear no less. This stems from a superficial knowledge provoking unjustified expectations, and therefore – and the numerous accusations of antibiotics in the troubles for which they actually do not bear the responsibility.
Day by day thousands of people buy antibiotics. A lot of people prefer to order antibiotics online via specialized pharmacy shops.
The word “antibiotic” is formed of two elements of Greek origin: anti- “against” and bios – “Life”. Antibiotics called formed by microorganisms, higher plants or tissues of living organisms’ substance that selectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms (cells or malignant tumors).
To date, there has been created over 200 antimicrobial drugs, including more than 150 are used to treat children. Their clever titles are often baffled people who have no relationship to medicine. How could understand the abundance of fancy terms? All antibiotics are divided into groups – depending on how they effects on microorganisms.
Penicillins and cephalosporins are destroying the bacterial cell membrane. Aminoglycosides, macrolides, chloramphenicol, rifampicin and lincomycin kill bacteria by inhibiting the synthesis of different enzymes – each its own. Fluoroquinolones kill more “sophisticated” bacteria: they suppressed the enzyme responsible for the reproduction of microbes.
In the unending competition with microbes scientists have come up with new methods of struggle – each of them gives rise to a new generation of the corresponding group of antibiotics.