Asked by Chuck Bass

How do antibiotics control bacteria?

by directly killing them

by slowing their growth

by directly killing them and slowing their growth

by neither directly killing them nor slowing their growth

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
by directly killing them and slowing their growth

Antibiotics work in two main ways: bactericidal drugs kill bacteria (e.g., beta-lactams like penicillin that disrupt cell walls, aminoglycosides), and bacteriostatic drugs inhibit bacterial growth and reproduction (e.g., tetracyclines, macrolides). Some drugs can act either way depending on concentration and the organism. Slowing growth also helps the immune system clear the infection.