The primary mode of action of antibiotics is to inhibit the growth of or kill bacteria. They achieve this through various mechanisms, such as disrupting cell wall synthesis, inhibiting protein synthesis, and interfering with other critical bacterial processes. For instance, some antibiotics, like penicillin, target the cell wall, causing the bacteria to burst. Others disrupt metabolic pathways crucial for bacterial survival. Antibiotics are essential in treating bacterial infections, but their misuse can lead to antimicrobial resistance, making infections harder to treat.