Antibiotics-β-lactam antibiotics(penicillins,cephalosporins ),tetracycline,macrolides,aminoglycoside antibiotics
Free pharmacy material Antibiotics Antibiotics are substances produced by various species of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) that suppress the growth of other microorganisms and eventually may destroy them. Since their discovery in the 1930s, antibiotics have made it possible to cure diseases caused by bacteria such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and meningitis – saving the lives of millions of people around the world. Historically, the most common classification has been based on chemical structure and proposed mechanism of action, as follows: Agents that inhibit the synthesis of bacterial cell walls; these include the penicillins and cephalosporins, which are structurally similar, and dissimilar agents such as cycloserine, vancomycin, bacitracin, and the imidazole antifungal agents Agents that act directly on the cell membrane of the microorganisms affecting permeability and leading to leakage of intracellular compounds; these include polymyxin, polyene an...