What happens to the good bacteria if we take antibiotics?
In: Biology
Although the top comment is correct in some cases, it is not generally that simple. Some antibiotics are general and will kill bacteria indiscriminately. An over-consumption of antibiotics can lead to a disruption in your gut bacteria, leading to major complications.
However, the people who make these things are smart enough to know that, so selective antibiotics are being developed. The most common types are Gram specific antibiotics. There are two types of bacteria: those with a thick outer coat (Gram positive) and those without one (Gram negative). Certain antibiotics utilize a mechanism of action specific to either degrading the thick outer coat, and therefore only killing Gram positive bacteria, or only killing the ones with less protection, killing the gram negative. If the bacteria causing your infection has been properly diagnosed, it can be identified as a Gram positive or Gram negative bacteria and targeted with more selective antibiotics, leaving all of the other type alive in your body, allowing you to maintain some good bacteria.
Antibiotic research has grown even more specific and some antibiotics have a mechanism of action that targets proteins specific to an exact strain (or at least a very limited group) of bacteria. Increased selectivity allows for termination of unwanted bacteria while maintaining your internal balance as much as possible.
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