What bacteria does penicillin kill?

Answer 1

Penicillins, having been around so long, have undergone significant modifications, and their spectra has increased since its discovery (when it wasn't effective against Gram negative bacteria -- which has changed).

Some of the bacteria penicillins of today may successfully attack include:Staphylococcus Streptococcus Gonorrhea Meningitis Endocarditis Upper respiratory infections Periodontal infections Syphilis and others...

Penicillin is ineffective against mold/fungus and MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Other bacteria have also developed resistances.

Answer 2

What happens is a vaccine for whatever virus you got it for is made up of the dead of barely living bacteria from the same virus. Your immune system still treats the bacteria as if it were alive and trying to hurt you and it would get rid of it. So when your body comes into contact with that bacteria again your immune system can rid your body of it right away before it can do any harm, because it remembers it from when you got the vaccine.

Answer 3

Penicillin inhibits the formation of peptidoglycan, which is a type of polysaccharide that forms cell wall of the bacteria. After being affected by the antibiotic, the peptidoglycan wall is now weakened, and then osmotic lysis occurs (the cell wall ruptures due to the high external osmotic pressure and cytosol or other fluid enters the bacteria, causing it to die). This mechanism works for both E.Coli and Subtilis (it is usually the same for all kinds of bacteria).

Answer 4

Penicillin inhibits the cell wall synthesis of the streptococcus pyogenes. It is made up of peptidoglycan subunits. Penicillin is (was) effective against gram positive and gram negative cocci and gram positive bacilli.

Answer 5

Antibiotics work by weakening the cells walls of bacteria and causing them to burst. However, this only works for some bacteria, so antibiotics cannot destroy all bacteria.

Answer 6

by interfering with bacterias ability to synthesize cell wall

Answer 7

Yes. That is the only thing we can kill off. We have no current ability to kill a virus.

Answer 8

The penicillin family mainly prevent the formation of cell membranes by inhibiting the enzyme folic acid, thus not allowing the cell to form.