Types of antibiotics
Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine. Some antibiotics are 'bactericidal', meaning that they work by killing bacteria. Other antibiotics are 'bacteriostatic', meaning that they work by stopping bacteria multiplying. Each different type of antibiotic affects different bacteria in different ways. For example, an antibiotic might inhibit a bacterium's ability to turn glucose into energy, or its ability to construct its cell wall. When this happens, the bacterium dies instead of reproducing. Some antibiotics can be used to treat a wide range of infections and are known as 'broad-spectrum' antibiotics. Others are only effective against a few types of bacteria and are called 'narrow-spectrum' antibiotics.
Main classes
There are many different kinds of antibiotics. The type of antibiotics are used depends on the type of infection and what kind of antibiotics are known to be effective.
The main classes of antibiotics:
The main classes of antibiotics:
- Aminoglycosides
- Cephalosporins
- Fluoroquinolones
- Macrolides
- Penicillins
- Tetracyclines
Click on the links for comprehensive information about the different types of antibiotics.
Nucleic Acid Synthesis & Repair Inhibitors
Fluoroquinolones,
Sulphonamides,
Trimethoprim
Dihydrofolate
Protein Synthesis inhibitors
Tetracyclines,
Aminoglycosides,
Macrolides
Lincosamides
Cell Wall synthesis inhibitors (Beta-lactams)
Penicillins,
Cephalosporins
Cell Membrane targeting
Polypeptide Antibiotics
Nucleic Acid Synthesis & Repair Inhibitors
Fluoroquinolones,
Sulphonamides,
Trimethoprim
Dihydrofolate
Protein Synthesis inhibitors
Tetracyclines,
Aminoglycosides,
Macrolides
Lincosamides
Cell Wall synthesis inhibitors (Beta-lactams)
Penicillins,
Cephalosporins
Cell Membrane targeting
Polypeptide Antibiotics