Cephalexin Ultimate Manual: Everything You Need to Know to Effectively Treat Ear Infections, Pneumon

Cephalexin is an antibiotic belonging to the class of drugs known as cephalosporins. It is primarily used to treat bacterial infections in various parts of the body, including the skin, ears, bones, throat, urinary tract, and respiratory system. Cephalexin works by interfering with the formation of the bacterial cell wall, which is essential for the bacteria's survival and replication.
Bacteria have a rigid cell wall made of a substance called peptidoglycan. This wall maintains the shape of the bacterium and protects it from bursting due to internal pressure. Peptidoglycan is formed by long chains of sugar molecules cross-linked by short peptide chains. The cross-linking is facilitated by enzymes known as penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Cephalexin exerts its antibacterial effect by binding to these PBPs, thereby blocking the final step in the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall.
Without proper cell wall synthesis, bacteria become structurally weak. Eventually, they cannot withstand the internal osmotic pressure and burst, leading to bacterial cell death. This process is known as bactericidal activity meaning Cephalexin kills the bacteria, rather than merely stopping them from growing.