Antibiotics work on various types of infections caused by bacteria. They do not work with infections that are caused by a virus, such as colds, flus and most sore throats. Antibiotics are produced either from a mold, a fungus or synthetically. They include medications such as, amino glycoside, macrolide, penicillin, tetracycline, and cephalosporin.
Some antibiotics are effective against only certain types of bacteria.
Others can effectively fight a wide range of bacteria. Antibiotics weaken or destroy bacteria. Antibiotics do this by interfering with the protein formation of bacteria. Various types of antibiotics work either by directly attacking an existing infection or by preventing a new infection from growing. Bacteria can become resistant to an antibiotic that had previously been effective.