Antibiotics
Definition
Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. They work by killing bacteria or preventing them from reproducing and spreading.
Analogy
Imagine antibiotics as pest control for your body. Just like how pest control eliminates unwanted pests from your house, antibiotics eliminate harmful bacteria from your body.
Related terms
Antimicrobial Resistance: This occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.
Bactericidal: Refers to substances or processes that kill bacteria.
Bacteriostatic: These are substances or processes that inhibit bacterial growth.
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