Antimicrobial Drugs Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on antimicrobial drugs and their mechanisms of action.

Antimicrobial Activity Spectrum

The range of different organisms that an antimicrobial drug can effectively target.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus, including fungi, protozoa, and helminths.

Beta-lactams

Antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis by preventing the cross-linking of peptidoglycan.

Penicillins

A group of beta-lactam antibiotics effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

Macrolides

Antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit.

Quinolones

A class of antibiotics that inhibit prokaryotic DNA gyrase, affecting DNA replication.

Sulfonamides

Antibiotics that inhibit the synthesis of essential metabolites, such as folic acid.

Resistance Mechanisms

Methods by which bacteria evade the effects of antibiotics, including blocking entry and efflux.

Beta-lactamase

An enzyme produced by some bacteria that deactivates beta-lactam antibiotics.

Superbugs

Bacteria that have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, making them challenging to treat.

Antimetabolic agents

Substances that inhibit metabolic processes, often more effective against pathogens than host cells.

Reverse transcriptase inhibitors

Drugs that specifically target the enzyme used by some viruses, like HIV, to replicate.

Dosing Misuse

Inappropriate use of antibiotics leading to resistance, such as not completing a prescribed regimen.

Inhibition of Cell Wall Synthesis

Mechanism of action for certain antibiotics like penicillin that prevent the formation of peptidoglycan.

Impact of Antibiotic Resistance

It leads to increasing difficulties in treating infections, requiring more potent or multiple drugs.