Difference between Antiseptic and Antibiotic

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Antiseptic  and  Antibiotic  difference between antiseptic and antibiotic

Antibiotic refers to a class of drugs that are given to kill and inhibit the growth of bacteria within the body. While antiseptic is any chemical that is applied topically on living tissues to kill and inhibit the growth of a wide range of microorganisms. Both antiseptics and antibiotics are chemical particles that inhibit the growth and development of microbes.

However, antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, while antiseptics oppose microbial activity. Often both terms are confused as they share some similar traits, but are different in many ways. Here in the article, we discuss the various differences between antiseptic and antibiotic.

Antiseptic vs antibiotic 

Antiseptic	Antibiotic
Effective against a wide range of microorganisms	Effective only against bacteria
It inhibits the growth and development of microorganisms without necessarily killing them.	Kills and inhibits the growth and development of bacteria.
Topically applied antiseptics	It is usually taken orally
Some common examples of antiseptic are hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, alcohol, and iodine.	Some common examples of antibiotics are Penicillin, Keflex, Zithromax