Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Resistance

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terminology and definitions related to antimicrobial chemotherapy and drug resistance.

Antimicrobials

Substances that kill or inhibit the growth of microbes, used in the treatment of infections.

Selective Toxicity

The property of a drug to harm microbes without harming the host.

Bacteriostatic

Drugs that inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Bactericidal

Drugs that kill bacteria.

Narrow-spectrum Antimicrobials

Drugs that affect a limited range of organisms.

Broad-spectrum Antimicrobials

Drugs that affect a wide range of microbes.

Innate Resistance

Natural resistance of bacteria to certain antibiotics due to inherent structural characteristics.

Acquired Resistance

Resistance developed through mutation or acquisition of new genes.

Penicillins

A group of antibiotics that share a common structure and are effective against various bacteria.

β-lactamase

An enzyme produced by some bacteria that inactivates β-lactam antibiotics like penicillin.

Therapeutic Index

The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose of a drug.

Cell Wall Synthesis Inhibitors

Drugs that disrupt the construction of bacterial cell walls.

Vancomycin

An antibiotic used to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, particularly resistant strains.

Chloramphenicol

An antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis by preventing peptide bonds from forming.

Macrolides

A class of antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit.

Daptomycin

An antibiotic that disrupts bacterial cell membrane integrity.

Fluoroquinolones

A class of antibiotics that inhibit enzymes involved in DNA replication.

Sulfonamides

Antimicrobial drugs that inhibit folate synthesis, affecting bacterial growth.

Echinocandins

Antifungal drugs that inhibit the synthesis of glucan in fungal cell walls.

Resistant Cell Mechanisms

Strategies that bacteria develop to protect themselves from antibiotics.

Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)

The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that inhibits visible growth of a microorganism.

Microbial Resistance Strategies

Methods by which microbes evolve to resist the effects of antimicrobial drugs.

Tetracyclines

Antibiotics that block the attachment of tRNA to the ribosome.

Streptomycin

An antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis, particularly effective against tuberculosis.

Polymyxin B

An antibiotic that disrupts the membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.

Rifamycins

Antibiotics that block bacterial RNA synthesis.

Mycoplasma

A genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall, making them resistant to penicillin.

Actinomycetes

Soil bacteria known for their ability to produce antibiotics.

Arsenic-containing Compounds

Chemicals tested by Paul Ehrlich for potential antimicrobial effects.

Dihydrofolate

A precursor in the folate synthesis pathway, targeted by sulfonamides.

Pseudomonas species

Bacteria often targeted by extended-spectrum penicillins due to their resistance.

Antimetabolites

Substances that disrupt metabolic processes in microbes.

Nicholson Manipulators

Chemicals that interfere with DNA replication or repair in microorganisms.

Acyclovir

An antiviral drug that mimics guanosine and acts against herpesviruses.

Drug Interaction

The effect that occurs when the presence of one drug modifies the action of another.

Kirby-Bauer Test

A method used to determine the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics.

Resistance Gene Transfer

The process by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes from other organisms.

Aminoglycosides

Class of antibiotics that cause misreading of mRNA during protein synthesis.

Neuraminidase Inhibitors

Antiviral drugs that prevent the release of new virus particles from infected cells.

Allylamines

Antifungal agents that inhibit ergosterol synthesis in fungal cell membranes.