#bactericidal
- Antibacterial — A medication, chemical substance, or biological agent capable of destroying bacteria (bactericidal effect) or suppressing their growth and multiplication (bacteriostatic effect), spanning antibiotics, antiseptics, and sanitizers.
- Bacteriostatic — Stopping, inhibiting, or blocking the multiplication and development of bacteria without destroying them directly or irreversibly, leaving the final elimination of the microorganisms to the host's immune system. Biochemically and clinically, bacteriostatic substances (such as certain antibiotics like tetracyclines or macrolides) clearly differentiate from bactericidal agents, which kill microbial cells.