Question

Broad spectrum antibiotic is that which
A. Acts on both pathogens and host
B. Acts on all bacteria and viruses
C. Acts on variety of pathogenic microorganisms
D. Is effective in very small amounts

Answer 1

Antibiotics are medications that help stop bacteria-caused infections. By destroying the bacteria or preventing them from copying themselves or reproducing, they do this. The word antibiotic means "against life." Literally, any medicine that destroys germs in your body is an antibiotic.

Complete Answer:
- Originally, the term 'broad spectrum antibiotics' was used to designate antibiotics that were effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, unlike penicillin, which is mainly effective against gram-positive species, and streptomycin, which is primarily active against gram-negative bacteria.
- There is an antimicrobial spectrum of broad spectrum antibiotics, which includes certain gramme-positive and some gram-negative species, as well as some organisms such as rickettsiae, larger viruses, protozoa and pleuropneumonia.
- These drugs are used when a bacterial infection is suspected, but the bacterial group is uncertain (also referred to as empirical therapy) or when several groups of bacteria are suspected of infection. This is in contrast to a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that is only effective against a particular bacterial community.
- Although potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics pose specific risks, such as disruption of native, normal bacteria and antimicrobial resistance growth, in particular. An instance of a broad spectrum is ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Levofloxacin, Streptomycin and Tetracycline, etc. There are four essential homologues of tetracyclines.
- The first two were entirely prepared by fermentation techniques. In 1948, Streptomyces aureofaciens isolated chlortetracycline hydrochloride from Duggar1, and in 1950, oxytetracycline, produced by S Rimosus, was introduced.

The correct Answer is option (C) Acts on a variety of pathogenic microorganisms.

Note: For all diseases, antibiotics are not the right alternative. Many sore throats, coughs and colds, pneumonia, or acute sinusitis, for example, are viral (not bacterial) in origin and do not require antibiotics. Such viral infections are "self-limiting," meaning that the virus can usually be kicked in and fought off by your own immune system.