Definition

A type of antibiotic that is usually red and comes from soil bacteria, used to stop the production of DNA or RNA in cells.

Example

Actinomycin is used in cancer treatment to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Conversation

Have you heard about actinomycin?

No, what's that?

It's a type of antibiotic that can inhibit DNA synthesis.

Interesting! I didn't know antibiotics could do that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Actinomycin is derived from "actino-" (from Greek "aktinos", meaning ray or beam) and "mycin" (from Greek "mykes", meaning fungus). The term refers to a substance derived from a fungus that has a ray-like structure, used in cancer treatment.

Memory Tip

Think of 'ray' ('actino-') and 'fungus' ('mycin') to remember that actinomycin is a substance derived from a fungus that has ray-like properties.

Visually Confused Words