PURPOSE

Antibiotics form an interesting therapeutically useful group of compounds.The production of antibiotics is a common occurance.In this experiment we have examined the effectiveness of antibiotics (Enoxocin,amoxclavocid and aztreonom) and we have compared their inhibition effects on S.aureus and E.coli microorganisms.

THEORY

An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics are one class of “antimicrobials”, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti- fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infection. The term originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms, but is now applied also to synthetic antimicrobials, such as the sulfonamides.Unlike previous treatments for infections, which included poisons such as strychnine, antibiotics were labelled “magic bullets”: drugs which targeted disease without harming the host. Antibiotics are not effective in viral, fungal and other nonbacterial infections, and individual antibiotics vary widely in their effectiveness on various types of bacteria. Some specific antibiotics target either gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria, and others are more wide-spectrum antibiotics. The effectiveness of individual antibiotics varies with the location of the infection and the ability of the antibiotic to reach this site. Oral antibiotics are the simplest approach when effective, with intravenous antibiotics reserved for more serious cases. Antibiotics may sometimes be administered topically, as with eyedrops or ointments.

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