lecture 34 - antibiotics Flashcards
1
Q
What is selective toxicity?
A
Selectively toxic compounds are designed to kill microbial cells without causing damage to the host cell
2
Q
How does penicillin target bacteria?
A
Primarily by interfering with normal formation of the bacterial cell wall by inhibiting the formation of peptidoglycan cross-links.
3
Q
How does antibiotic resistance arise?
A
Horizontal and vertical gene transfer - beneficial antibiotic mutations can be spread throughout bacterial populations.
4
Q
What is the enzyme produced by bacteria to resist penicillin?
A
Beta lactamase - disables penicillin structure
