Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
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Definitions
- Antibiotic resistance
- Bird flu
- Climate change & insect-borne disease
- Genomics
- Malaria
- Nanotechnology for health
- Tuberculosis
A directory of terms related to antibiotic treatment, useful for discussing the development of antibiotic resistance. (Sources: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, Union of Concerned Scientists, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
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Generic vs. trade name (non-generic) antibiotics
Commercially available antibiotics may be referred to by two different names. The generic name is the common family identification provided by chemists — for example, Amoxicillin. The trade name is given to it by the manufacturer and is often used by doctors and pharmacists when prescribing and dispensing the drugs. One trade name for Amoxicillin is Augmentin.
Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria
Bacteria are distinguished into types depending on how they stain in a dye test. When gram-positive bacteria are stained, the cell wall holds the dye inside and the bacteria are stained dark purple. The cell walls of gram-negative bacteria are more permeable — they do not retain much of the dye —so their cell walls do not show much stain.
Growth promoters
A class of substances, usually antibiotics, used at low doses to promote the growth of food animals, such as cows.
