PLTW MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Enzyme - ✔✔A protein serving as a catalyst; a chemical agent that changes the rate
of reaction without being consumed by the reaction
✔✔Serial Dilution - ✔✔A stepwise dilution of a substance in a solution
✔✔Nucleoid - ✔✔Contains the genophore
✔✔Plasmid - ✔✔Small, circular piece of DNA. Located in the cytoplasm and contain
information for antibiotic resistance.
✔✔Ribosomes - ✔✔Produce proteins
✔✔Cell Wall - ✔✔Differ between Gram-Positive (no outer membrane, stains blue) and
Gram-Negative (stains red, contains a second membrane)
✔✔Plasma Membrane - ✔✔Found in the envelope, protects the cell and controls what
goes in and out.
✔✔Capsule - ✔✔Most outer layer of the cell, protects it from phagocytosis (white blood
cells)
✔✔Flagella - ✔✔Responsible for movement
✔✔Pili - ✔✔(Fimbriae) Hollow hair-like structures that extend from the cell and allow it
to attach to other cells
✔✔Endotoxins - ✔✔Bacterial toxins, found in the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria.
They are released when the cell disintegrates.
✔✔Penicillins - ✔✔Interferes with the making of peptidoglycan, weakening the cell wall
so that the bacteria eventually bursts.
Resistance: Some bacteria create enzymes that destroy it
✔✔Tetracyclines - ✔✔Prevents bacteria from making necessary proteins. (Binds to
ribosome)
Resistance: Efflux pump
✔✔Fluoroquinolones - ✔✔Attack DNA Gyrase to prevent bacteria from replicating.
Resistance: Change in target, (DNA Gyrase)
, ✔✔Sulfa antibiotics (Sulfonamids) - ✔✔Inhibit the making of folate, which is an essential
nutrient. Does not hurt humans because we consume folate, but bacteria must
manufacture it.
Resistance: Enzyme changes
✔✔Meningitis (Positive or negative) - ✔✔Gram-Negative
✔✔What are we doing to help bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? - ✔✔Not taking
medicines to completion-- chance to mutate
Feeding antibiotics to farm animals to increase growth-- chance to mutate
✔✔Mutation - ✔✔DNA mutates, creating a change in the gene product (Form of
resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Destruction/Inactivation - ✔✔Exchange enzymes that chemically degrade the
antibiotic (Form of resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Efflux - ✔✔Efflux pump actively transports antibiotic out of cell before it can cause
harm (Form of resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Conjugation - ✔✔Plasmid carrying resistance is transferred from one cell to another
using a pilus bridge (Form of sharing resistance)
✔✔Transformation - ✔✔DNA is transferred as "naked" DNA-- The cell dies, cell wall
deteriorates, and living bacteria take DNA (Form of sharing resistance)
✔✔Transduction - ✔✔Bacteria is transferred through viruses that effect bacteria
(bacteria-phages)
✔✔Frequency - ✔✔How often the waves occur. Effects pitch (more waves, higher pitch)
✔✔Amplitude - ✔✔How large waves are (how much air they displace, larger
waves=louder sound)
✔✔Sound - ✔✔Mechanical energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in
a medium (such as water or air)
✔✔Pinna - ✔✔Helps to collect sound waves and rather poorly directs them to the
external auditory canal.
✔✔Auditory Canal - ✔✔Sound waves are funneled through the tube and are amplified
in the process. It has a natural acidity that protects against infection. Ear wax is
produced to keep the ear from drying out and to ward off insects.
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Enzyme - ✔✔A protein serving as a catalyst; a chemical agent that changes the rate
of reaction without being consumed by the reaction
✔✔Serial Dilution - ✔✔A stepwise dilution of a substance in a solution
✔✔Nucleoid - ✔✔Contains the genophore
✔✔Plasmid - ✔✔Small, circular piece of DNA. Located in the cytoplasm and contain
information for antibiotic resistance.
✔✔Ribosomes - ✔✔Produce proteins
✔✔Cell Wall - ✔✔Differ between Gram-Positive (no outer membrane, stains blue) and
Gram-Negative (stains red, contains a second membrane)
✔✔Plasma Membrane - ✔✔Found in the envelope, protects the cell and controls what
goes in and out.
✔✔Capsule - ✔✔Most outer layer of the cell, protects it from phagocytosis (white blood
cells)
✔✔Flagella - ✔✔Responsible for movement
✔✔Pili - ✔✔(Fimbriae) Hollow hair-like structures that extend from the cell and allow it
to attach to other cells
✔✔Endotoxins - ✔✔Bacterial toxins, found in the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria.
They are released when the cell disintegrates.
✔✔Penicillins - ✔✔Interferes with the making of peptidoglycan, weakening the cell wall
so that the bacteria eventually bursts.
Resistance: Some bacteria create enzymes that destroy it
✔✔Tetracyclines - ✔✔Prevents bacteria from making necessary proteins. (Binds to
ribosome)
Resistance: Efflux pump
✔✔Fluoroquinolones - ✔✔Attack DNA Gyrase to prevent bacteria from replicating.
Resistance: Change in target, (DNA Gyrase)
, ✔✔Sulfa antibiotics (Sulfonamids) - ✔✔Inhibit the making of folate, which is an essential
nutrient. Does not hurt humans because we consume folate, but bacteria must
manufacture it.
Resistance: Enzyme changes
✔✔Meningitis (Positive or negative) - ✔✔Gram-Negative
✔✔What are we doing to help bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? - ✔✔Not taking
medicines to completion-- chance to mutate
Feeding antibiotics to farm animals to increase growth-- chance to mutate
✔✔Mutation - ✔✔DNA mutates, creating a change in the gene product (Form of
resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Destruction/Inactivation - ✔✔Exchange enzymes that chemically degrade the
antibiotic (Form of resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Efflux - ✔✔Efflux pump actively transports antibiotic out of cell before it can cause
harm (Form of resistance to antibiotics)
✔✔Conjugation - ✔✔Plasmid carrying resistance is transferred from one cell to another
using a pilus bridge (Form of sharing resistance)
✔✔Transformation - ✔✔DNA is transferred as "naked" DNA-- The cell dies, cell wall
deteriorates, and living bacteria take DNA (Form of sharing resistance)
✔✔Transduction - ✔✔Bacteria is transferred through viruses that effect bacteria
(bacteria-phages)
✔✔Frequency - ✔✔How often the waves occur. Effects pitch (more waves, higher pitch)
✔✔Amplitude - ✔✔How large waves are (how much air they displace, larger
waves=louder sound)
✔✔Sound - ✔✔Mechanical energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in
a medium (such as water or air)
✔✔Pinna - ✔✔Helps to collect sound waves and rather poorly directs them to the
external auditory canal.
✔✔Auditory Canal - ✔✔Sound waves are funneled through the tube and are amplified
in the process. It has a natural acidity that protects against infection. Ear wax is
produced to keep the ear from drying out and to ward off insects.
