Question

Which of the following statements is incorrect about antibiotics?
A. Coined by Waksman (1942)
B. Produced by microorganisms
C. Produce allergy in some persons
D. Cure all diseases

Answer 1

Hint: Antibiotics are a large group of medicines which can fight against bacterial infections and can cure the person from bacterial infection. These can be produced by fungus, bacteria and other microbes.

Complete answer:
Antibiotics are the medicines or drugs which help in the fighting against the infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics work by killing the bacteria or by stopping the reproduction cycle of the bacterial clones.
Antibiotics were developed or discovered by Waksman in 1942 and used these antibiotics for the treatment of soldiers. He was the first person to observe the unique property of antibiotics.
Antibiotics help in treatment of ear and sinus infections, dental infections, skin infections, meningitis, strep throat, kidney infections, bacterial pneumonias, etc. Antibiotics can work in only bacterial infections if someone is suffering from some viral flu or viral infection then some antiviral drugs will be prescribed by the doctor.
Some people may have side effects of antibiotics as well like, after having antibiotic treatment some people may feel vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite etc.
Thus, we can conclude that option ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ is correct, but option ‘D’ says that antibiotics can treat any disease, which is wrong. Antibiotics can be used for the bacterial infections only. Other viral, protozoan, fungal, etc, cannot be treated with antibiotics. We need other drugs for treatment of these infections.

Thus, the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: But as bacteria have very small life cycles and have ability to mutate very rapidly, then they can develop antibiotic resistance. Means, they will modify the particular pathways in which the antibiotic works and even after antibiotic exposure, the bacterial population will be there. Example E. coli is resistant to amoxicillin antibiotics.