Any one of a group of bacteriocidal antibiotics derived from species of Streptomyces or Micromonosporum and characterized by two or more amino sugars joined by a glycoside linkage to a central hexose; aminoglycosides act by causing misreading and inhibition of protein synthesis on bacterial ribosomes and are effective against aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Some commonly used aminoglycosides are streptomycin, neomycin, and gentamycin.
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ami·no·gly·co·side -'glī-kə-.sīd n any of a group of antibiotics (as streptomycin and neomycin) that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis and are active esp. against gram-negative bacteria
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ami·no·gly·co·side (ə-me″no-gliґko-sīd) any of a group of antibiotics (e.g., amikacin, gentamicin, streptomycin) derived from various bacterial species, especially those of genus Streptomyces, or produced synthetically. Aminoglycosides inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding with the 30S ribosomal subunit and are bactericidal.Medical dictionary. 2011.