Which term is defined as 'a medicine which inhibits the growth of microorganisms'?

Which term is defined as 'a medicine which inhibits the growth of microorganisms'?

• A. Iodine
• B. Antiseptic
• C. Antibiotic
• D. Aspirin

Answer: (C)

Antibiotic is the term for a medicine that inhibits the growth of microorganisms. These drugs are designed to treat infections by stopping microbes, typically bacteria, from multiplying, or by killing them outright. Some antibiotics are bacteriostatic (they slow growth), while others are bactericidal (they kill). This is different from antiseptics like iodine, which are used on living tissues to prevent infection but aren’t taken as medicines to treat an infection systemically. Aspirin has no antimicrobial effect at all. So the definition given fits antibiotics best because it describes a medicine that directly targets microbial growth to treat infections.

Antibiotic is the term for a medicine that inhibits the growth of microorganisms. These drugs are designed to treat infections by stopping microbes, typically bacteria, from multiplying, or by killing them outright. Some antibiotics are bacteriostatic (they slow growth), while others are bactericidal (they kill). This is different from antiseptics like iodine, which are used on living tissues to prevent infection but aren’t taken as medicines to treat an infection systemically. Aspirin has no antimicrobial effect at all. So the definition given fits antibiotics best because it describes a medicine that directly targets microbial growth to treat infections.