Summary

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or fungi. Since their commercial introduction in the 1940s, antibiotics have played a crucial role in the control of infectious diseases, particularly those caused by bacteria. However, frequent use of these drugs can lead to antibiotic-resistant strains of certain diseases, making them harder to treat. Antibiotics, Second Edition explains the classes of these drugs, their origins, how they work, and what new drugs are being investigated.

Chapters include:

• What Is an Antibiotic?
• The History of Antibiotics
• Antibiotics and Human Disease
• The Pharmacology of Antibiotics
• Antibiotic Treatment
• Problems Associated with Antibiotic Use
• The Future of Antibiotics.

Specifications

eBook

About the Author(s)

Dr. Emmeluth has published several journal articles and is the coauthor of a high school biology textbook. He has authored several books in the Deadly Disease and Epidemics series including Typhoid Fever, Botulism (1st and 2nd editions), Plague (1st and 2nd editions) and Influenza (1st and 2nd editions), Fifth Disease and Staphylococcur areus (2nd edition). In addition to this book Antibiotics, he has authored the book Nicotine, which is part of the Understanding Drugs series.

Dr. Emmeluth served as president of the National Association of Biology Teachers. During his career, Dr. Emmeluth has received a number of honors and awards including the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching from the State University of New York system and the Two-Year College Biology Teaching Award from NABT. In 2003, Dr. Emmeluth was awarded NABT's Honorary Membership Award for outstanding contributions to Biology and Life Science Education. This award is the association's highest honor. Dr. Emmeluth retired from teaching in 2020.