Final answer:
The term for an antibiotic that kills bacteria is bactericidal. These antibiotics work by targeting structures or enzymes within bacterial cells, but overuse has led to increased antibiotic resistance and the rise of 'superbugs'. Antibiotics specifically target prokaryotic cells without affecting human cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Agents
The term used to describe an antibiotic that kills the invading organisms is bactericidal. This type of antibiotic works by targeting specific structures or enzymes within the bacterial cell, leading to the cell's death. Bactericidal antibiotics are critical in the treatment of various bacterial infections and work by disrupting cell wall synthesis, damaging cell membranes, altering the synthesis of proteins, or interfering with bacterial DNA replication and transcription.
Antibiotics come from natural sources such as molds or can be synthesized to have a structure analogous to naturally occurring antibacterial compounds. However, due to extensive use, many pathogens have evolved antibiotic resistance, gaining traits that enable them to survive in the presence of these drugs. The consequence is a growing number of superbugs, resistant to multiple antibiotics, posing a significant challenge to healthcare.
Antibiotics act specifically against prokaryotic cells (bacteria), targeting parts of the bacterial cell wall or cellular machinery without harming human cells. This selective targeting is essential for their effectiveness in treating bacterial infections. Yet, not all microbes are harmful; indeed, many are beneficial and even essential for human health.