3.1 Antibiotics and Resistance

What are Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medication against bacteria (Ex. strep throat)

What are Antivirals

Antivirals are medication against viruses (Ex. Herpes)

What are Antifungals

Antifungals are medication against fungi (ex. yeast infection)

What are Antiparasitics

Antiparasitics are medication against parasites (Ex. malaria)

How do antibiotics work

They work by interfering with key prokaryotic cellular processes

each Ab only works with SOME bacteria not all

What don’t they work on

• eukaryotes

• viruses

• Prions

What is the name for bacteria division

Replicate in a process known as binary fission

What was the first ever antibiotic and who made it

the first ever antibiotic is penicillin which was made by three men : Fleming, Flory and Chain

How many chromosomes do bacteria have

Most bacteria have one large chromosome known as a nucleoid

What are plasmids

Plasmids are small, circular DNA molecules which have their own genes

Why is this relevant

Plasmids may contain Ab-resistance genes which they can share with nearby bacteria via a process known as conjugation

They also replicate themselves during binary fission

What is conjugation

conjugation is essentially a bridge made of cytoplasm between two bacteria that allows for sharing of plasmids between them