Antimicrobial Drugs Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on Antimicrobial Drugs.

Chemotherapy

The use of chemicals (drugs) to treat a disease.

Paul Ehrlich

The first scientist to use a chemical/drug to treat a disease and coined the term 'Chemotherapy.'

Magic Bullet

A chemical substance that selectively targets and destroys pathogens without harming the infected host.

Natural Antimicrobials

Antimicrobial agents derived from living things.

Semisynthetic Antimicrobials

Modified natural antimicrobials.

Synthetic Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials that are 100% artificially created in the lab.

Narrow Spectrum Drugs

Drugs that affect a narrow range of microbial types, typically used when the pathogen has been identified.

Broad Spectrum Drugs

Drugs that affect a large range of microbial types, used for immediate treatment when the pathogen is unknown.

Selective Toxicity

The ability of a drug to selectively destroy pathogens without damaging the host.

Penicillin

A natural antimicrobial that inhibits peptidoglycan synthesis and is primarily effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

Penicillinase

An enzyme produced by some bacteria that cleaves the beta-lactam ring of penicillin, rendering it ineffective.

Rifamycin

A drug that inhibits mRNA synthesis and can penetrate tissues used for treating Tuberculosis.

Polymyxin B

An antibacterial drug that acts on the plasma membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.

Sulfonamides

Antimetabolite drugs that compete with PABA for an enzyme used in the synthesis of folic acid.

Antimycotic Drugs

Antifungal agents that inhibit ergosterol synthesis in fungal cell membranes.

Zanamivir

A drug that inhibits attachment and is used to treat Influenza.

Superbugs

Bacterial strains that are resistant to a large number of antibiotics.

E-Test

A method that determines the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of an antimicrobial drug.

Disk-Diffusion Method

A method to evaluate if a microbe is sensitive or resistant to chemotherapeutic agents.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The transfer of resistance genes from one bacterium to another via plasmids.

Efflux Pumps

Molecular pumps in bacterial cell membranes that eject antibiotics, contributing to drug resistance.