User talk:Tailah-p

Antibiotics
In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound, that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungi.

The term "antibiotic" (from the Ancient Greek: ἀντί – anti, "against" and Ancient Greek: βίος – bios, "life") was coined by Selman Waksman in 1942 to describe any substance produced by a micro-organism that is to the growth of other micro-organisms in high dilution. This original definition excluded naturally occurring substances, such as gastric juice and hydrogen peroxide (they kill bacteria but are not produced by micro-organisms) and also excluded synthetic compounds (which are antimicrobial agents). Many antibiotics are relatively small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 Da.

With advances in medicinal chemistry, most antibiotics are now modified chemically from original compounds found in nature, as is the case with beta-lactams (which include the penicillins, produced by fungi in the genus Penicillium). Some antibiotics are still produced and isolated from living organisms in addition, many more have been created through purely synthetic means.

Tailah-p (talk) 06:28, 12 May 2009 (UTC)tailah-pTailah-p (talk) 06:28, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

Caffine (Coffee, coke etc.)
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystal, that acts like a "stimulant drug". Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819. He coined the term "kaffein", a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine.

Caffeine is found in many substances like beans, leaves and fruit and of some plants, where it acts a a natural chemical that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the cherries of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut.

In humans, caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks enjoy great popularity. Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed substance, but unlike many other substances it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions. In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists caffeine as a "Multiple Purpose Generally Recognized as Safe Food Substance". Substances it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions.

Caffeine has properties, at least when administered in sufficient doses to subjects who do not have a tolerance for it. Regular users, however, develop a strong tolerance to this effect, and studies have generally failed to support the common notion that ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes significantly to dehydration.

Tailah-p (talk) 06:27, 14 May 2009 (UTC)Tailah-p