Antimicrobial facts for kids

An antimicrobial is like a special helper that fights tiny living things called microbes (or germs). These helpers either kill the microbes or stop them from growing.

We can group antimicrobials by the type of microbe they fight. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria. Antifungals are used to fight fungi, like mold or yeast.

Antimicrobials also work in different ways. Some are microbicidal, meaning they kill microbes. Others are biostatic, which means they just stop microbes from growing, giving your body a chance to fight them off.

Using antimicrobial medicines to treat an infection is called antimicrobial chemotherapy. When these medicines are used to prevent an infection from happening, it's called antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Types of Antimicrobials

There are three main types of antimicrobial agents:

• Disinfectants are strong chemicals used on non-living surfaces, like counters or floors. They kill a wide range of microbes to stop illnesses from spreading. A common example is bleach.
• Antiseptics are gentle enough to be used on living skin or tissues. They help reduce the risk of infection, especially during surgery.
• Antibiotics are medicines that fight microorganisms inside your body.

The word "antibiotic" first described medicines made from living microorganisms. But now, it also includes medicines made by scientists, like sulfonamides or fluoroquinolones. The term "antibiotic" used to only mean medicines that fought bacteria. Now, it includes all types of antimicrobials.

Antibacterial agents, which fight bacteria, can be split into two groups:

• Bactericidal agents kill bacteria.
• Bacteriostatic agents slow down or stop bacteria from growing.

Scientists are always finding new ways to fight microbes. Some new materials can even kill microbes just by touching them!

Images for kids

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  Selman Waksman won the Nobel Prize for finding 22 antibiotics, including Streptomycin.

See also

In Spanish: Antimicrobiano para niños