Antimicrobial Drugs Lecture

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to antimicrobial drugs and their mechanisms of action, resistance, and applications in chemotherapy.

Antimicrobial

A substance that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.

Antibiotic

A natural substance produced by a microbe that inhibits other microbes.

Chemotherapy

The use of chemicals to treat a disease.

Sensitivity Testing

Tests performed to determine which agent will target a specific microbe.

Superinfection

Overgrowth of normal microbiota affected by antibiotics, leading to resistance.

Bactericidal

Antimicrobials that kill microbes directly.

Bacteriostatic

Antimicrobials that prevent microbes from growing.

Narrow Spectrum Antibiotics

Drugs that affect a small range of microbial types.

Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

Drugs that affect a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Penicillin

The first antibiotic discovered, produced by mold Penicillium.

Isoniazid

An antibiotic used against Mycobacteria, particularly in tuberculosis.

Rifampin

An antibiotic that inhibits nucleic acid synthesis.

Chloramphenicol

A drug that inhibits protein synthesis by targeting prokaryotic ribosomes.

Acyclovir

An antiviral drug that resembles nucleoside and inhibits DNA synthesis.

Plasmids

Small DNA molecules within cells that can carry antibiotic resistance genes.

Transposons

Mobile genetic elements that can jump from one location to another in the genome.

Conjugation

The transfer of genetic material between bacteria through direct contact.

Transduction

The process by which bacteriophages transfer genetic material between bacteria.

Disk-Diffusion Method

A technique to test antibiotic effectiveness by measuring the zone of inhibition.

Synergistic Effect

When drug combinations result in enhanced effectiveness.

Antagonistic Effect

When drug combinations reduce the effectiveness of both drugs.

Aminoglycosides

Class of antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis by targeting 70S ribosomes.

Tetracyclines

Broad-spectrum antibiotics that interfere with tRNA attachment.

Polymyxin B

Antibiotic that disrupts bacterial plasma membranes.

Azoles

Antifungal agents that disrupt fungal cell membranes.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of superbug.

Eukaryotes

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

Fungi

A kingdom of usually multicellular organisms that include yeasts and molds.

Interferons

Cytokines produced by virus-infected cells to inhibit infection spread.

Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Drugs that target HIV by inhibiting the enzyme that converts RNA to DNA.

Nucleoside Analogs

Compounds that mimic nucleotides and disrupt nucleic acid synthesis.

Ribosome

Cellular structure where protein synthesis occurs, targeted by some antibiotics.

Essential Metabolites

Biochemicals necessary for microbial growth, targeted by certain drugs.

Inhibition of Cell Wall Synthesis

A mechanism of action for many antibiotics, preventing peptidoglycan formation.

Inhibition of Nucleic Acid Synthesis

A mechanism where drugs interfere with DNA or RNA replication.

Injury to Plasma Membrane

Mechanism of drugs that disrupt the structural integrity of membranes.

Efflux Pump

A mechanism bacteria use to pump out antibiotics, conferring resistance.

Enzymatic Action

A method bacteria use to inactivate antibiotics via specific enzymes.