Home > Encyclopedia of Surgery > Tetracyclines

Definition

Tetracyclines are medicines that kill bacteria, which are one-celled disease-causing microorganisms that commonly multiply by cell division. Tetracyclines are also used to treat infections caused by such subcategories of bacteria as rickettsiae and spirochetes.

Tetracyclines are classified as antibiotics, which are chemical substances produced by a microorganism that are able to kill other microorganisms without being toxic to the person, animal, or plant being treated. Some tetracyclines are derived directly from a bacterium known as Streptomyces coelicolor; others are made in the laboratory from chlortetracycline or oxytetracycline.

Purpose

Tetracyclines are called "broad-spectrum" antibiotics,...