The use of antibacterials has become increasingly common in the daily health protection and medical practices of people, many of whom believe that, once exposed to bacteria, antibacterial agents can act as a precise “assassador” and destroy all the structures of bacteria, so that they can be “disappeared” and die immediately. However, it is a profound error, and today we are here to unmask the mystery of the anti-bacterial mechanism.
The antibacterial family is numerous and its mode of operation is unique. Common alcohol antibacterials, such as medical alcohol, are antibacterial effects mainly through protein decomposition in bacteria. When a high concentration of alcohol is exposed to bacteria, alcohol molecules quickly infiltrate into bacterial cells, combine with the bacterium key of bacterial proteins, disrupt the normal structure of proteins and render them devoid of their original physiological functions, as if there was an emergency brake on the “mechanical” that operated in bacteria, paralyzing, breeding and so forth.
Chlorine-containing antibacterial agents are based on strong oxidation “high-profile hands” such as home-use chlorine disinfectant, in which the active chlorine composition in contact with bacteria attacks the cytowalls, cellular membranes of bacteria. Cell walls, like the “fortress walls” of bacteria, are “city gates” where the membranes control the material’s entry and exit, where chlorine-containing antibacterial agents are powerfully breaking through both lines of defence, causing cell walls of bacteria to break, changes in cellular membrane permeability, large-scale outflows of vital substances such as nucleic acids and proteins within bacteria, cell structure disorders and eventually death.
Even so, antibacterial agents could not destroy all the structure of the bacteria once and immediately. On the one hand, the bacteria themselves have certain defence mechanisms. Some of the bacteria have special protein structures or polyglycerins on their surfaces, which, like a layer of “protective clothing” for bacteria, can prevent the direct attack of antibacterial agents, slow the rate of penetration of antibacterial agents and gain response time for bacteria. Some antibacterial bacteria have evolved “molecular pumps” that can proactively pump antibacterial agents, and once antibacterial agents enter the cell, these “molecular pumps” are fully energized, ejecting antibacterial agents from the cell in reverse, reducing the concentration of intra-cell antibacterial agents and reducing their lethality.
On the other hand, it takes time for the antibacterial process. From exposure to bacteria to maximum efficacy, there is a process of concentration gradient dependence and time accumulation. In the case of antibiotics, for example, in the treatment of bacterial infections, it is necessary to achieve a certain concentration of blood medicine in the body and to function for a period of time in order to effectively contain or eliminate bacteria. If there is a premature stoppage or insufficient dose, and the bacteria are damaged but not completely eliminated, the remaining bacteria will take advantage of the breathing time, adjust their own state, and even create drug resistance, making subsequent treatment more difficult.
In the actual scene, this misperception also poses problems. In household cleaning, if antibacterial agents are thought to be capable of killing all bacteria in an instant, they may be used in a careless manner, such as a simple spray of two sterilising fluids, which does not allow for their full effect to be wiped out. As a result, bacteria are not completely removed, and they continue to breed on the surface of objects and to bury health hazards. In the medical field, health-care personnel who miscalculate the immediate effects of antibacterials may affect the precision of treatment programmes and delay patients ‘ condition.
For the correct use of antibacterial agents, we need to understand their characteristics and limitations. The concentrations required in the instructions are allocated, sufficient time is guaranteed, and antibacterials are reasonably selected for different scenarios and bacteria. At the same time, other health measures, such as hand-washing, ventilation and so forth, can truly maximize the effectiveness of anti-bacterial agents, effectively prevent and control bacteriological hazards and protect healthy lives.
