Antimicrobial Drugs & Antibiotic Resistance

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to antimicrobial drugs and antibiotic resistance, aiding in the understanding and retention of material for the exam.

Antimicrobial Drugs

Agents that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Antibiotic Resistance

The ability of microbes to resist the effects of drugs that once killed them or inhibited their growth.

Selectively Toxic

A property of an ideal antimicrobial agent that is toxic to pathogens but not to the host.

Synergistic Effect

When two drugs work better together than either drug alone.

Antagonistic Effect

When two drugs negatively affect each other's efficacy.

Narrow-Spectrum

Antimicrobial agents that are effective against specific types of organisms.

Broad-Spectrum

Antimicrobial agents effective against a wide range of organisms.

Half-life

The time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to reduce to half its level.

Bactericidal

Antimicrobials that kill bacteria.

Bacteriostatic

Antimicrobials that inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Mechanisms of Resistance

Ways in which bacteria can resist the effects of antimicrobials.

R Plasmids

Genetic elements that confer resistance to antimicrobial drugs; can be acquired through horizontal gene transfer.

Beta-lactams

A class of antibiotics that disrupt bacterial cell wall synthesis.

Superinfection

A secondary infection that occurs after or on top of an earlier infection.

Penicillin

A natural antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming, derived from the Penicillium fungi.

Therapeutic Index

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

Microbial Antagonism

The ability of normal flora to prevent the growth of pathogens.

Inhibition of Nucleic Acid Synthesis

Mechanism by which some drugs prevent DNA replication or RNA transcription.

Efflux Pump

Mechanisms that bacteria use to pump antimicrobials out of the cell before they can act.

Profile of Antimicrobial Agents

The detailed characteristics such as spectrum of action, effectiveness, safety, side effects, dosage, and route of administration of an antimicrobial drug.

Magic Bullets

Drugs that are effective against pathogens with minimal effects on the host.

Antimetabolic Agents

Substances that interfere with the metabolic processes of microorganisms.