Antimicrobial Resistance
Pathogenic microbes are provided with their own mechanisms to
establish infection in the host animals and humans. Similarly the hosts body
has a number of defense mechanisms to mount resistance against the
invasion and to prevent infection of pathogens. The antimicrobial response
of hosts may be natural, non-specific and specific.
Natural resistance includes species resistance, racial resistance and
individual resistance. (Antimicrobial Resistance)
Chemotherapy
The control and treatment of infectious diseases with a chemical
compound or drug is called chemotherapy. The chemical compounds and
drugs are called chemotherapeutic agents.
A good chemotherapeutic agent posses the following characteristics:
1. It destroys or prevents the activity of a disease causing pathogen, without
injuring the host tissues
2. It is able to penetrate the cells and tissues of the host and can encounter
the pathogens in effective but safe concentrations or dosage.
3. It leaves the hosts natural defense or immune mechanisms such as
phagocytosis or antibody production, unaffected.
4. It exhibits selective toxicity, that is it kills or inhibits the pathogenic
microbes without having harmful effect or having least harm to the host. (Antimicrobial Resistance)
Related Topics in Zoology:
Bio Zoology All Important Topics
- Microbiology Introduction and History of Medical Microbiology
- Pasteur, Koch, Lister
- Structure of Viruses
- Viral genetics
- Virus Culture
- Viral Diseases
- Bacteria Structure Culture
- Bacterial Genetics
- Bacterial Diseases
- Protozoan microbiology
- Pathogenecity of Microorganisms
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- Antibiotics and Chemotherapy
- AIDS – HIV