Antibiotics: Key Concepts and Mechanisms

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to antibiotics and their mechanisms of action.

Antibiotics

Substances produced by microorganisms that inhibit the growth or life of other bacteria.

Bacteriostatic

Agents that arrest growth and replication of bacteria, limiting infection spread but DOES NOT kill microorganisms.

Bactericidal

Agents that eliminate or kill microorganisms.

MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration)

The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that will inhibit the visible growth of a microorganism after overnight incubation.

Pharmacological Sanctuaries

Areas of the body that are poorly penetrated by pharmacological agents, such as the blood-brain barrier and prostate gland.

Pulsed Dosing

A method of administration where high doses of medication are given intermittently to maximize drug concentration in the bloodstream.

Drug Resistance

The failure of a drug to halt the growth of microorganisms, often due to genetic alterations or modifications of target sites.

Synergism

When two drugs used in combination are more effective than either drug used separately.

Adverse Effects of Antibiotics

Negative reactions to antibiotics including hypersensitivity, toxicity, and alteration of normal flora leading to superinfections.

Glycopeptides

Antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis, such as Vancomycin and Teicoplanin.

Fluoroquinolones

A class of antibiotics that act on topoisomerases and are effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria.

Sulfonamides

Antibiotics that inhibit bacterial growth by mimicking para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and disrupting folic acid synthesis.

Trimethoprim (TMP)

A structural analogue of dihydrofolic acid that inhibits folic acid synthesis, often used in combination with sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX).

Aminoglycosides

Bactericidal antibiotics that bind to the 30S ribosomal subunit, effective mainly against gram-negative bacilli.

Macrolides

A class of antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis at the 50S ribosomal subunit with examples including Erythromycin and Azithromycin.