kanamycin

[kan-uh-mahy-sin]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic, C 18 H 35 N 3 O 10 , isolated from the Japanese soil bacterium Streptomyces kanamyceticus and used in the treatment of infections, especially those caused by Gram-negative bacilli.

kanamycin

/ ˌkænəˈmaɪsɪn /

noun

1. an aminoglycoside antibiotic obtained from the soil bacterium Streptomyces kanamyceticus, used in the treatment of various infections, esp those caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Formula: C 18 H 36 N 4 O 11

Word History and Origins

Origin of kanamycin¹

First recorded in 1955–60; from New Latin kana(mycēticus), the specific epithet of the genus, equivalent to Japanese kana- “golden,” from kane “gold” (from the color of the bacterial colonies) + New Latin myc(ēticus) “pertaining to a mushroom” + English -in; streptomyces ( def. ), myco- ( def. ), -in ² ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of kanamycin¹

C20: from New Latin kanamyceticus

Example Sentences

Tisile eventually lost her hearing as a result of painful daily injections of kanamycin, an older TB medication.

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Her treatment now involved 13 different medications, including injections of kanamycin, which can cause permanent hearing loss and kidney impairment.

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In 1982, E. coli on the Soviet Salyut 7 space station increased its resistance to two types of antibiotics, colistin and kanamycin.

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Eight percent of those had “extensively drug resistant” TB, as defined by its resistance to four antibiotics: isoniazid, rifampin, ofloxacin and kanamycin.

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