Biology · Microbes in Human Welfare · NEET
NCERT states it clearly: "Anti" is a Greek word meaning "against", and "Bio" means "life". Together they mean "against life". But this "life" refers only to the disease-causing microbes, not to us. So for the harmful microbe an antibiotic is "against life", while for a human being it is "pro life" (it saves us). NEET has asked this exact word-meaning line, so learn it word for word.
No. This is the most common trap. The word literally means "against life", but the "life" it targets is the disease-causing microbe. With reference to human beings, antibiotics are "pro life" and not against. So the same substance is against microbe-life yet in favour of human-life. Never mark the option saying antibiotics are against human life.
An antibiotic is a chemical made by a microbe (like Penicillium) that kills or slows other microbes. An antibody is a protein made by our own immune system (by lymphocytes) that binds to a specific antigen. Antibiotic = external chemical from a microbe; antibody = internal protein from our body. NEET mixes these two similar-sounding words on purpose.
By the strict NCERT definition, antibiotics are produced by microbes to kill or retard the growth of other (disease-causing) microbes — classically bacteria and some fungi. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, which is why a cold or flu is not treated with antibiotics. For NEET, remember the definition line rather than expanding it to viruses.
By microbes. NCERT says antibiotics are chemical substances "produced by some microbes". Penicillium (a fungus) produces penicillin; several bacteria such as Streptomyces produce other antibiotics. Humans only extract, purify and use them. So the source in every NEET answer is a microbe, not a human cell.
Which one of the following population interactions is widely used in medical science for the production of antibiotics?
Which of the following is correctly matched for the product produced by them?
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by some microbes that can kill or retard (slow) the growth of other, disease-causing microbes.
Anti is Greek for "against" and Bio means "life", so antibiotic literally means "against life" — against the disease-causing microbe, but pro-life for humans.
Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered. It is produced by the fungus Penicillium and was discovered by Alexander Fleming.
Because they let us treat deadly diseases such as plague, whooping cough, diphtheria and leprosy, which earlier killed millions. NCERT says today we cannot imagine a world without antibiotics.
No. An antibiotic is made by a microbe and used inside or on the body to fight disease-causing microbes. A disinfectant is a chemical used on non-living surfaces. NEET tests the microbe-produced part of the definition.
