6 November: Antibiotics Flashcards
Which classes of microorganisms present the “easiest” targets for the design of antimicrobial agents?
Bacteria
Microbicide
Kills microbes
Viricide
Kills viruses
Microbistatic
Inhibits growth of microbes
Antibiotic
Produced by microbes that kills or inhibits the growth of other microbes.
Why do microbes make antibiotics?
To protect their food supply from being taken
Semi-Synthetic
Drug companies allow molds to begin the process of making antibiotics and then chemically finish the process
All penicillins have what type of nucleus?
Beta-lactam nucleus
Why make semi-synthetic drugs?
To have a extended variety and to stay a step ahead of microorganisms
Synthetic Agents
Have different ways of metabolizing (based on what enzymes are in the biota), essentially all anti-viral drugs.
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics
Can kill or inhibit a wide variety of bacteria
What do drugs that interfere with cell wall biosynthesis prevent?
They prevent cross linking of peptidoglycan + makes a hole
When do antibiotics that interfere with cell wall biosynthesis work?
They only work on actively growing cells (won’t work on persister cells)
Narrow Spectrum Antibiotics
More limited in what they can target
What are some considerations when thinking about antibiotics?
- Is the agent of infection actually identified?
- What is the site of infection? What most likely causes infection in that site?
- Is the patient allergic to the drug of choice?
- What are the side effects?
- How is the drug administered?
