Final answer:
Bacteriocins and defensins are types of antibiotics, substances produced in response to pathogens and have antimicrobial properties. They are different from vaccines, antivirals, and antifungals and have selective toxicity to kill or inhibit microbial growth with minimal harm to the host.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bacteriocins and defensins are types of antibiotics. They are substances produced in response to the presence of pathogens. Specifically, bacteriocins are peptides produced by bacteria that inhibit the growth of other bacterial strains, whereas defensins are peptides produced by various organisms (including humans) that have broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, including activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Among their roles, defensins are key components of the innate immune response.
An important quality for antimicrobial drugs is selective toxicity, meaning that they kill or inhibit the growth of microbes while causing minimal harm to the host. Antibiotics, including bacteriocins and defensins, are therefore distinct from vaccines, which are biological preparations that provide active acquired immunity to a particular disease, antivirals which specifically target viral pathogens, and antifungals designed to treat fungal infections.
In contrast, interferons, which were mentioned separately, are particularly useful against infections with viruses.