Antibiotic

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Functionally

**Definition:** Substances naturally produced by microorganisms or their derivatives that selectively target microorganisms not humans. Antibiotics kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms by targeting components of the microbial cell absent from human cells, including bacterial cell walls, cell membrane, and 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits. These substances are used in the treatment of bacterial and other microbial infections.

**Synonyms:** - Antibiotic Agents - Antibiotic Drugs - Antibiotic Therapy - Antibiotics - Antimicrobial - Antimicrobial Agent - antibiotic - antimicrobial