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Antiseptics and antibiotics are both chemical substances that are designed to kill and eliminate microorganisms. Both fall under the category of antimicrobials which are a group of reagents that aim to reduce the possibility of infection or sepsis in an open wound. Antiseptics are the class of antimicrobials that target, kill or inhibit the growth of a wide range of organisms. Whilst antiseptics target a wide range of microorganisms, antibiotics exclusively target Bacteria and bacterium-carrying microorganisms. Both these are important parts of a first aid kit to provide proper assistance immediately to help reduce the person’s recovery time to make a difference in the healing process of an individual.
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Key Terms: antiseptic, antibiotic, pathogens, microorganisms, antimicrobials, drugs, bacteria, microbes.
Antiseptics
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Antiseptics are chemicals that are topically applied to the skin as they can inhibit the growth of microbes or even kill them. They can inhibit the growth of these microorganisms in number on the skin, wounds, or even in the mucous membranes. These were discovered by Joseph Lister in 1867.
There is a variety of antiseptics that are easily available over the counter as they are very cost-effective and come in handy for treating minor cuts and keeping those cuts and wounds clean. And some antiseptics can even be replaced with soaps.
Antiseptics and disinfectants are different from each other as antiseptics can kill microorganisms on the skin or the mucosal membranes, disinfectants can only remove microbes from the particular object and must not be used on the skin.
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Types and examples of Antiseptics
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Antiseptics are of many types out of which some can be used at homes whilst some are suitably used in clinical and hospital setups. Some of the common types are listed below
- Alcohols like isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol
- Chlorhexidine and diguanides
- Quaternary ammonium compounds
- Halogenated phenols
- Peroxide and permanganates
- Quinolone
- Antibacterial dyes
Common uses of antiseptics
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Some of the common uses of antiseptics include
- Dry hand-washing that healthcare professionals do between different surgical procedures
- Preventing infections on the skin in particular to cuts scrapes and burns
- Treating throat infections with mouthwashes or lozenges
- Cleaning the mucous membranes to treat infections or before using a catheter
Antibiotics
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Antibiotics also known, as antibacterials are medications that are used to destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria. These are an extremely common class of drugs that are used in modern healthcare facilities. They include a range of powerful drugs that are used to treat diseases caused by bacteria and bacteria-carrying organisms. Penicillin was the first antibiotic that was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.
Some antibiotics can prevent the reproduction of bacteria and destroy them whilst others disrupt the essential processes or structures in the bacterial cell. The disruption of essential processes either slows down the growth of the bacteria or kills the bacterium.
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Types and examples of Antibiotics
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Based on the effect of these antibiotics they are divided into two types
- Bactericidal antibiotics - these can kill bacteria directly.
Example: polymyxin B is an example of bactericidal antibiotics, which targets the plasma membrane of the bacteria and destroys it. This results in the leaking of cell content. Bacteria and other cells have to maintain a particular balance of ions due to osmosis. Polymyxin B disrupts this balance leading to the cell leaking out important molecules like the RNA and DNA to leak out.
- Bacteriostatic antibiotics - these can stop the growth of the bacteria.
Example: Tetracycline is an example of a bacteriostatic antibiotic wherein it inhibits the bacterial ribosome to produce new proteins. These only prevent further production of proteins and do not affect the functioning of the bacterial cell but the bacterial cell cannot replicate as they require a much higher quantity of proteins to undergo cell replication.
Based on the target specificity of antibiotics they are divided into
- Narrow-spectrum antibiotics - these are only effective against a narrow range of bacteria.
Example: Penicillin G is an example of a Narrow spectrum antibiotic as penicillin G is exclusively effective against gram-positive bacteria but not very effective against gram-negative bacteria. This is due to the fact that gram-positive bacteria have a layer of peptidoglycan outside the wall whereas gram-negative bacteria have the peptidoglycan layer in between the cell wall. Penicillin g works best on gram-positive bacteria by inhibiting the peptidoglycan production making the cell fragile.
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics – these drugs are effective against a wider range of bacteria.
Example: Amoxicillin is an example of a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It is classified into broad-spectrum antibiotics since it is effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria making it effective against a wider range of bacteria.
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Difference between antiseptics and antibiotics
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| Antiseptic | Antibiotic |
|---|---|
| These are effective against a wide range of microorganisms or pathogens. | Antibiotics are exclusively effective against bacteria. |
| These inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms and mostly do not kill them. | These inhibit the growth and development of bacteria and even kill them. |
| These are topically applied onto the surface of the skin or mucous membrane but are never taken orally | These are ingested orally. |
| These have multiple areas of activity and do not have a specific area of action | Antibiotics only target a specific area or site |
| Naturally, present antiseptic examples include lemon, pineapple, honey, lavender, activated charcoal. | Naturally, present antibiotic examples include garlic, oregano oil, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon etc |
| Examples of antiseptics include Chloroxylenol, ethanol, benzethonium chloride, hydrogen peroxide. | Examples of antibiotics include penicillin, tetracyclines, Aminoglycosides, Cephalosporins. |
Things to remember
- Antibiotics are used as drugs to treat infections because of their low toxicity for humans and animals.
- Antiseptics are applied to the living tissues such as wounds, cuts, ulcers and diseased skin surfaces.
- Antibiotics and antiseptics both fall under the category of Antimicrobials
- An antimicrobial tends to destroy/prevent the development or inhibit the pathogenic action of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other parasites selectively.
- Antibiotics are divided into 4 classes based on their effects and the target specificity of the antibiotic.
Sample questions
Ques. Differentiate between disinfectants and antiseptics. (2012 CBSE) (3 marks)
Ans.
| Antiseptics | Antibiotics |
|---|---|
| They are chemical substances which prevent the growth of micro-organisms and may even kill them. | They are chemical substances which kill micro-organisms. |
| They are safe to be applied to the living tissues. | They are not safe to be applied to the living tissues. |
| They are generally applied on wounds, cuts, ulcers, and diseased skin surfaces. Example: Furacin, Soframycin, Dettol, and savlon, 0.2% solution of phenol. | They are used to kill micro-organisms present in the drains, toilets, floors etc. Example: Phenol (> 1% solution) and chlorine (0.2 to 0.4 ppm). |
Ques. What are limited spectrum antibiotics? Give one example. (2 marks)
Ans. Those antibiotics which are specific for certain diseases are called limited spectrum antibiotics or narrow-spectrum antibiotics.
Example: Streptomycin for tuberculosis. Penicillin is also an example of narrow-spectrum disease.
Ques. Which among the following is a semi-synthetic modification of penicillin: (1 mark)
(a) Erythromycin
(b) Ampicillin
(c) Tetracycline
(d) Ofloxacin.
Ans: Ampicillin is the semi-synthetic modification of penicillin because it has a broad spectrum. Broad-spectrum antibiotics target both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
Ques. Substances produced wholly or partly by chemical synthesis, which in low concentrations inhibits the growth or destroys microorganisms by intervening in their metabolic processes. Identify the substance. (2 marks)
Ans. These are antibiotics. Because of their low toxicity in people and animals, antibiotics are employed as medicines to treat infections. An antibiotic is a drug generated entirely or partially by chemical synthesis that inhibits or kills bacteria by interfering with their metabolic activities at low doses.
Ques. Drugs are classified as:
(a) Aspirin- analgesic
(b) Chlordiazepoxide - tranquilizer
(c) Penicillin- antibiotic
Mention on what basis the above classification is done? (6 marks)
Ans. Analgesics decrease or eliminate pain without impairing awareness, producing mental disorientation, incoordination, paralysis, or causing other nervous system abnormalities. Aspirin, morphine, heroin, and codeine are examples of analgesics.
Tranquilizers are a family of pharmacological substances that are used to alleviate stress as well as mild to severe mental illnesses. These induce a sensation of well-being, which relieves worry, tension, impatience, and excitement. Tranquilizers include chlordiazepoxide, meprobamate, veronal, Amytal, Nembutal, luminal, and phenelzine, to name a few.
Antibiotics are substances generated entirely or partially by chemical synthesis that, at low doses, inhibit or kill bacteria by interfering with their metabolic activities. Penicillin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Ofloxacin, Chloramphenicol, and Aminoglycosides are examples of antibiotics.
Ques. What are the Different Types of Antimicrobial Agents? (4 marks)
Ans: Antimicrobial agents have been used in preventing diseases and infections which are caused by pathogens. There are many different kinds of commonly available antimicrobial drugs. They are listed as follows:
- Antibacterial Drug: A drug that is used in inhibiting bacterial pathogenic activity is called an antibacterial drug. Example: Zithromax.
- Antifungal Drug: It is used for preventing fungal activity in the host. Example: Miconazole.
- Antiviral Agent: It is a drug that is used for stopping the pathogenic activity of a virus. Example: Tamiflu.
- Antiparasitic Drug: It is used for the prevention of the growth of pathogenic parasites. Example: Anthelmintics.
Ques. What are the Different Side Effects of Antibiotics? (2 marks)
Ans. If antibiotics are prescribed and taken in the right way, they are usually safe and can help in killing off the bacteria that cause an infection. However, it is still essential to be aware of the side effects of antibiotics. There are certain side effects that are more common than others. However, the following are all the possible side effects of antibiotics.
- Nausea
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Cramps
- Photosensitivity, which refers to light sensitivity and/or being more prone to getting sunburns when you are taking antibiotics.
- Tooth discolouration, which is the most prevalent in the teeth of children that are just developing.
Ques. What are analgesic drugs? How are they classified and when are they usually recommended for use? (Delhi 2010) (2 marks)
Ans. Analgesic drugs: These drugs are chemical substances that are given to relieve body pains. These act on the central nervous system.
These are classified as Narcotics i.e. habit-forming and non-narcotics i.e. not habit-forming.
Examples of Narcotics: Opium contains alkaloids such as Codeine and Morphine.
Examples of Non-Narcotics: Aspirin and Ibuprofen.
Ques. Pick out the odd one from the following and mention why? (1 mark)
(a) Erythromycin
(b) Penicillin
(c) Tetracycline
(d) chloramphenicol
Ans. The above-mentioned are all antibiotics, but amongst them, penicillin exists as tablets and the rest all are bacteria used to treat infections.
Ques. Which of the following drug combinations is not correct and state why? (2 marks)
(a) Chloramphenicol - broad-spectrum antibiotic
(b) Equanil - sedative
(c) Phenacetin - antipyretic
(d) Bithional - tranquilliser
Ans. From the above list, Bithional is not a tranquillizer, it is an antibacterial disinfectant. Bithional is used in soaps not only as an antibacterial but also to decrease odours caused by microbial breakdown of organic compounds on the skin.
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