Ans:ANTIBIOTICS
Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine. An antibiotic is a drug that kills or retards the growth (reproduction) of bacteria. They are the chemicals produced by or derived from microorganisms (bacteria and fungi).
Groups of Antibiotics
Three major groups of antibiotics are as follows:
1.Cephalosporins
Cephalosporins interfere with synthesis of bacterial cell wall and so are bactericidal. Cephalosporins are used to treat pneumonia, sore throat, tonsillitis, bronchitis etc.
2.Tetracycline's
These are broad-spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotics and inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. Tetracyclines are used in the treatment of infections of respiratory tract, urinary tract, intestine etc. Tetracyclines are not used in children under the age of 8, and specifically during
3. Sulpha Drugs/sulfonamides
Sulpha drugs are synthetic antibiotics that contain sulfonamide group. Sulfonamides are broad spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotics. They are used to treat pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
The sulfonamide group is also present in other medications that are not antibiotics e.g. thiazide diuretics (medicines for lowering blood pressure)