Chemicals produced by living things, such as fungi, that we use to kill disease-causing bacteria are called what?

Chemicals produced by living things, such as fungi, that we use to kill disease-causing bacteria are called what?

• A. Vaccines
• B. Hormones
• C. Antacids
• D. Antibiotics

Answer: (D)

Antibiotics are chemicals produced by living organisms, such as fungi, that we use to kill disease-causing bacteria. They work by interrupting essential bacterial processes—for example, many block the construction of the bacterial cell wall, causing the bacteria to burst and die. This natural product tradition began with penicillin, discovered from a mold, which showed how a substance made by a microbe could treat bacterial infections. While some antibiotics can be manufactured in the lab, the defining idea is that they target bacteria rather than human cells. Vaccines, on the other hand, are substances that help the immune system recognize and fight pathogens, hormones regulate body functions, and antacids neutralize stomach acid.

Antibiotics are chemicals produced by living organisms, such as fungi, that we use to kill disease-causing bacteria. They work by interrupting essential bacterial processes—for example, many block the construction of the bacterial cell wall, causing the bacteria to burst and die. This natural product tradition began with penicillin, discovered from a mold, which showed how a substance made by a microbe could treat bacterial infections. While some antibiotics can be manufactured in the lab, the defining idea is that they target bacteria rather than human cells. Vaccines, on the other hand, are substances that help the immune system recognize and fight pathogens, hormones regulate body functions, and antacids neutralize stomach acid.