Distinguish between an antiseptic and a disinfectant. Synthetic chemotherapeutic agents exhibit selective toxicity for bacteria, and are safe to take internally. Growth factor analogs, such as sulfanilamide, are synthetic metabolic inhibitors. Quinolones inhibit the action of DNA gyrase in bacteria. Identify at least two features that distinguish synthetic chemotherapeutic agents from antiseptics and disinfectants.
Antibiotics are a chemically diverse group of static or cidal compounds produced by microorganisms.
They can act by a variety of mechanisms to disrupt microbial metabolism. Most known antibiotics have no clinical applications. Distinguish antibiotics from growth factor analogs. The -lactam compounds are the most important clinical antibiotics. This group includes the penicillins and the cephalosporins.