Question

A narrow spectrum antibiotic is active against____.

• A. gram positive or gram negative bacteria
• B. gram negative bacteria only
• C. single organism or one disease
• D. both gram positive and gram negative bacteria

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

gram positive or gram negative bacteria

Answer 2

Antibiotics are now defined as chemical substances which in low concentration, either kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms by intervening in their metabolic processes. The full range of microorganisms attacked by an antibiotic is called its spectrum. Broad spectrum antibiotics are effective against several different types of harmful bacteria i.e., a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These effective mainly against gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria are narrow spectrum antibiotics. Chloramphenicol is a broad spectrum antibiotic penicillin-G has a narrow spectrum. If an antibiotic is effective against a single organism or disease then it is limited spectrum antibiotic.