INDEX
1.Certificate
2.Acknowledgement
3.Objective
4.Introduction
5.Theory
6.What are Antibiotics?
7.What are Antibiotics made of?
8.How do Antibiotics work?
9. What is Antibiotic resistance?
Introduction
Antibiotics have been widely used for several decades for
human therapy and farming production. They treat infections
by killing or decreasing the growth of bacteria. However, a
high percentage of antibiotics are discharged from the human
or animal body without degradation, leading to pollution in
various habitats
Theory
Antibiotics are among the most successful drugs used in
human therapy. They have also been used in animal growth
promotion, prophylaxis, metaphylaxis, treatment, and
general farming production. This wide antibiotic use has led
to different habitats becoming polluted by a large range of
concentrations of antibiotics
What are Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are medications used to fight infections caused by
bacteria. They treat infections by killing or decreasing the
growth of bacteria. The first modern-day antibiotic was used
in 1936. Today, antibiotics are still powerful, lifesaving
medications for people with certain serious infections
HOW DO ANTIBIOTICS WORK?
Antibiotics work by blocking vital processes in bacteria, killing the
bacteria or stopping them from multiplying. This helps the body's
natural immune system to fight bacterial infection. Different
antibiotics work against different types of bacteria.
Antibiotics that affect a wide range of bacteria are called broad-
spectrum antibiotics (eg, amoxicillin and gentamicin).
Antibiotics that affect only a few types of bacteria are called narrow-
spectrum antibiotics (eg, penicillin).
Different types of antibiotics work in different ways. For example,
penicillin destroys bacterial cell walls, while other antibiotics can
affect the way the bacterial cell works.
Doctors choose an antibiotic according to the bacteria that usually
cause a particular infection. Sometimes your doctor will do a test to
identify the exact type of bacteria causing your infection and its
sensitivity to particular antibiotics.
WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE?
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change to protect
themselves from an antibiotic. Bacteria become resistant when their
genes mutate after being in contact with an antibiotic. These changes
allow the bacteria to survive or 'resist' the antibiotic so that the
antibiotic no longer works to kill the bacteria or stop them from
multiplying.
Unfortunately, bacteria can also develop antibiotic resistance through
contact with other bacteria. Resistant bacteria can pass their genes
to other bacteria, forming a new antibiotic-resistant 'strain' of the
bacteria.
The more antibiotics are used, the more chances bacteria have to
become resistant to them.
As more antibiotics stop working against bacterial infections, doctors
will have fewer antibiotics to use. Many common infections may
eventually become untreatable with medicines.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that antibiotic
resistance is one of the greatest threats to global public health today.
PRECAUTIONS:
Several important steps can be taken to ensure proper and effective
antibiotic use:
• Take antibiotics only for bacterial infections. Don't use antibiotics
for conditions caused by viruses such as the common cold, flu, cough,
or sore throat.
• Take antibiotics as directed by a healthcare professional. Using the
wrong dose, skipping doses, or taking it longer or shorter than
directed might contribute to bacterial resistance. Even if you feel
better after a few days, talk with your healthcare professional before
discontinuing an antibiotic.
• Take the right antibiotic. Using the wrong antibiotic for an infection
might lead to resistance. Don't take antibiotics prescribed for
someone else. Also, don't take antibiotics left over from a previous
treatment. Your healthcare professional will be able to select the
most appropriate antibiotic for your specific type of infection.
CONCLUSION
Antibiotics are a very effective tool to fight against bacterial
infections and have overall improved the life of humans as a
race but it does not come without any side effects. Improper
and irregular use of antibiotics cause microorganisms to
develop resistance against them and hence require newer
generations of antibiotics to be developed to help fight against
them, Antibiotic resistance is considered a great risk to our
future. Antibiotics in some cases also cause side effects such
as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting in humans and may even
disrupt natural ecosystems when introduced to them (the effect
of these antibiotics on microorganisms in the soil is shown in
the experiment above). The only way to combat these side
effects is to spread awareness about the precautions of using
antibiotics and consulting a licensed doctor before turning to
antibiotics as a magic solution to your ailmen
