An antibacterial is an agent that inhibits bacterial growth or kills bacteria. The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic. Today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of antimicrobial compounds, including anti-fungal and other compounds. The term antibiotic was first used in by Selman Waksman and his collaborators in journal articles to describe any substance produced by a microorganism that is antagonistic to the growth of other microorganisms in high dilution. This definition excluded substances that kill bacteria, but are not produced by microorganisms. It also excluded synthetic antibacterial compounds such as the sulfonamides. Many antibacterial compounds are relatively small molecules with a molecular weight of less than atomic mass units. With advances in medicinal chemistry, most of today’s antibacterials chemically are semisynthetic modifications of various natural compounds.
This definition excluded substances that kill bacteria, but are not produced by microorganisms. Want to learn more Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge. Ahat your vocabulary with English.
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