Antibiotics: the cell wall
Penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and vancomycin: antibiotics that stop bacteria building their cell wall. 12 drugs in 5 classes. Read them through, then practice: their classes, how they work, what they treat and what they're known for. 13 questions, about 4 minutes.
Free, and no account needed.
In this group
The classes and their drugs
- PenicillinsBlocking the enzymes that cross-link the bacterial cell wall, so bacteria burst
- BenzylpenicillinAmoxicillinFlucloxacillinPiperacillin
- Beta-lactamase inhibitorsInactivating bacterial beta-lactamases so the partner penicillin survives
- Clavulanic acidTazobactam
- CephalosporinsBinding penicillin-binding proteins so the bacterial wall is never cross-linked
- CefalexinCefuroximeCeftriaxoneCefixime
- CarbapenemsBinding many penicillin-binding proteins to stop cell wall synthesis
- Meropenem
- GlycopeptidesBinding the D-Ala-D-Ala ends of wall precursors so the cell wall cannot be built
- Vancomycin