Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=spacer}
.jpg){kind=small}
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.)
N
Narrow-spectrum antibiotics
An antibiotic may be classified as 'narrow-spectrum' or 'broad-spectrum' depending on the range of bacterial types that it affects. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are active against a select group of bacterial types. Examples of narrow-spectrum antibiotics are the older penicillins (penG), the macrolides and vancomycin.
Natural selection
The process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment thrive and multiply. Organisms that are less well adapted to their environment fail to thrive and do not reproduce successfully.
Nosocomial infections
Infections that are acquired in a hospital while undergoing treatment for a different condition.
