antibiotic
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- Key People:
- Lancelot Thomas Hogben Selman Abraham Waksman
- Related Topics:
- aminoglycoside penicillin tetracycline methicillin ceftriaxone
antibiotic, chemical substance produced by a living organism, generally a microorganism, that is detrimental to other microorganisms. Antibiotics commonly are produced by soil microorganisms and probably represent a means by which organisms in a complex environment, such as soil, control the growth of competing microorganisms. Microorganisms that produce antibiotics useful in preventing or treating disease include the bacteria and the fungi. Antibiotics came into worldwide prominence with the introduction of penicillin in 1941. Since then they have revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections in humans and other animals. They are, however, ineffective against viruses. In 1928 Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming ...(100 of 2268 words)