Amoxicillin works by attacking bacteria in a very specific way that doesn't harm your child's own cells. Think of bacteria as tiny balloons surrounded by a protective wall that keeps them intact and able to cause infection. Amoxicillin targets this protective wall, called the cell wall, and prevents bacteria from building and maintaining it properly. Without a strong cell wall, bacteria become weak, leak their contents, and eventually die. This is why amoxicillin is called a 'bactericidal' antibiotic - it actually kills bacteria rather than just stopping their growth. The reason amoxicillin doesn't hurt your child's cells is that human cells don't have these same protective walls that bacteria do. Instead, our cells have a different type of outer covering that amoxicillin completely ignores. This selective targeting is what makes amoxicillin both effective against infections and safe for children. Amoxicillin belongs to a family of antibiotics called beta-lactams, named after a specific ring-shaped chemical structure that's essential for their bacteria-fighting activity. When amoxicillin enters bacteria, it binds to special proteins called penicillin-binding proteins that are normally responsible for building and repairing the bacterial cell wall. By blocking these proteins, amoxicillin essentially sabotages the bacteria's construction crew, making it impossible for them to maintain their protective barrier. The medicine is particularly effective against common childhood bacteria like streptococcus (which causes strep throat), pneumococcus (a cause of ear infections and pneumonia), and many bacteria that cause skin infections. However, some bacteria have learned to fight back by producing enzymes called beta-lactamases that can break down amoxicillin before it can work - this is why doctors sometimes need to use different antibiotics or combine amoxicillin with other medicines.