Question

Which of the following statements is incorrect for antibiotics?

• A. An antibiotic must be a product of metabolism.
• B. An antibiotic should be effective in low concentrations.
• C. An antibiotic is a synthetic substance produced as a structural analogue of naturally occurring antibiotic.
• D. An antibiotic should promote the growth or survival of microorganisms.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

To determine which statement is incorrect regarding antibiotics, let's examine each option:

1. An antibiotic must be a product of metabolism.

   This statement is correct. Antibiotics are typically products of metabolism, mainly produced by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. They often work by inhibiting the growth of other microorganisms.

2. An antibiotic should be effective in low concentrations.

   This statement is correct. One of the characteristics of antibiotics is that they should be effective at low concentrations to ensure that they do not harm the host while still inhibiting the growth of pathogens.

3. An antibiotic is a synthetic substance produced as a structural analogue of naturally occurring antibiotic.

   This statement can be misleading. While antibiotics can be synthetically produced as analogues of naturally occurring antibiotics, the key point to understand here is that antibiotics, by definition, are substances, which could be naturally occurring or modified, that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, not necessarily mentioning how they are made.

4. An antibiotic should promote the growth or survival of microorganisms.

   This statement is incorrect. Antibiotics are designed to inhibit the growth or destroy microorganisms, not promote them. The fundamental purpose of antibiotics is to act against pathogenic microorganisms, not to support their survival.

Based on the analysis above, the incorrect statement is: An antibiotic should promote the growth or survival of microorganisms. This contradicts the very purpose of antibiotics, which is to combat harmful microorganisms.