Medicine & Health
What is Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria or stop them from multiplying, used to treat bacterial infections. They don't work against viruses, and overusing them breeds resistant 'superbugs'.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains antibiotics.
Key things to understand
- 1They target bacteria specifically — not viruses (so they don't treat colds or flu).
- 2Some kill bacteria; others stop them reproducing so the body can clear them.
- 3Finishing the full course helps fully clear the infection.
- 4Overuse drives antibiotic resistance, a serious global threat.
Frequently asked questions
- Do antibiotics work on viruses?
- No — antibiotics only work against bacteria. Viral infections like colds and flu don't respond to them.
- What is antibiotic resistance?
- When bacteria evolve to survive antibiotics, making infections harder to treat — driven by overuse and misuse.
- Why finish the whole course?
- Stopping early can leave the toughest bacteria alive, risking relapse and resistance.