Antibiotics Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to antibiotics, their mechanisms, and concepts in pharmacology.

Antibiotic

A substance produced by a microbe that, in small amounts, inhibits another microbe.

Selective toxicity

The ability to kill or inhibit pathogens without damaging the host.

Bactericidal antibiotics

Antibiotics that kill microbes directly.

Bacteriostatic antibiotics

Antibiotics that prevent microbes from growing.

Synergism

The effect of two drugs together being greater than the effect of either drug alone.

Antagonism

The effect of two drugs together being less than the effect of either drug alone.

Beta-lactam ring

A crucial component in certain antibiotics that is essential for their function.

Beta lactamase

An enzyme that hydrolyzes the beta-lactam ring in antibiotics, inactivating them.

Narrow spectrum antibiotic

An antibiotic that affects a narrow range of microbial types.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics

Antibiotics that affect a broad range of gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria.

Superinfection

Overgrowth of normal microbiota that is resistant to antibiotics.

Inhibitors of cell wall synthesis

Antibiotics like penicillins and cephalosporins that interfere with the construction of bacterial cell walls.

Inhibitors of protein synthesis

Antibiotics that target bacterial ribosomes, preventing protein formation.

Inhibitors of nucleic acid synthesis

Antibiotics that are active against bacterial DNA replication and transcription.

Injury to plasma membrane

Mechanism where antibiotics alter membrane permeability.

Chemical structure of penicillins

Characterized by a beta-lactam ring essential for their antibacterial activity.

MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration)

The lowest concentration of an antibiotic that prevents bacterial growth.

MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration)

The lowest concentration of an antibiotic that kills 99.9% of the bacterial population.

Antibiotic resistance

Ability of bacteria to resist the effects of an antibiotic.