Difference between revisions of "Antibiotic"

Revision as of 08:05, April 1, 2007

A chemical that kills or reduces the reproduction rates of organisms.^[1] Such chemicals may be secreted by living organisms (such as penicillin, which is produced by certain molds) or they may be artificially synthesized. Antibiotics gradually lose effectiveness when used by an individual, as the strain of antibiotics infecting the individual evolves to become resistant to the antibiotic.^[2]. This has produced various strains of bacteria that lead to infections that cannot be treated with the more common antibiotics. An example is the MRSA strain of Staphylococcus Aureus, that is resistant to all penicillin-type antibiotics.

References

1. ↑ Wile, Dr. Jay L. Exploring Creation With Biology. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998
2. ↑ http://www.chemheritage.org/educationalservices/pharm/antibiot/readings/evolve.htm