NURS 3550 - Week 1 Exam Questions and Answers Fully Solved Latest Update 2025-2026
Antibiotic - Answers Chemical produced by organism that harm other microbes
Antimicrobial - Answers Any agent that can kill/suppress microorganisms
Spectrum - Answers Broad: impacts many different microbes; Narrow: impacts few microbial
species ('specific')
Aerobic bacteria - Answers Need oxygen to survive, only found in oxygen environments
Anaerobic bacteria - Answers In areas without oxygen as byproducts of oxygen are harmful to
them
Facultative bacteria - Answers Can exist with or without oxygen
Selective toxicity - Answers Ability to injure target organisms without harming host
Bactericidal - Answers Lethal to bacteria
Bacteriostatic - Answers Slows growth of bacteria, doesn't kill it (requires the immune system)
Trough level - Answers Amount of drug in serum blood sample before the next dose is due
(lowest level)
Peak level - Answers Amount of drug in a serum blood sample when it peaks (highest level)
Superinfection - Answers A new infection that develops when treating a primary infection
Bacterial resistance - Answers Stems from changes in microbe NOT changes in drug; i.e bugs
become resistant; drugs do not become resistant
Penicillin - Answers Beta-lactam antibiotic; all beta-lactam antibiotics disrupt the cell wall
Penicillin's mechanism of action - Answers Inhibition of transpeptidases and activation of
autolysins
Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) - Answers Molecular targets for penicillin, only expressed
during growth and division
Gram negative (GN) cell envelope - Answers Has another layer (an outer membrane) which is
harder to penetrate (penicillin not very effective)
Penicillinases - Answers Enzymes that breakdown the beta-lactam ring -> makes drug useless
Altered PBPs - Answers Low affinity for penicillin (and beta-lactam drugs); MRSA has altered
PBPs
Penicillin G - Answers Prototype, most used; bactericidal to many GP and some GN bacteria;
Antibiotic - Answers Chemical produced by organism that harm other microbes
Antimicrobial - Answers Any agent that can kill/suppress microorganisms
Spectrum - Answers Broad: impacts many different microbes; Narrow: impacts few microbial
species ('specific')
Aerobic bacteria - Answers Need oxygen to survive, only found in oxygen environments
Anaerobic bacteria - Answers In areas without oxygen as byproducts of oxygen are harmful to
them
Facultative bacteria - Answers Can exist with or without oxygen
Selective toxicity - Answers Ability to injure target organisms without harming host
Bactericidal - Answers Lethal to bacteria
Bacteriostatic - Answers Slows growth of bacteria, doesn't kill it (requires the immune system)
Trough level - Answers Amount of drug in serum blood sample before the next dose is due
(lowest level)
Peak level - Answers Amount of drug in a serum blood sample when it peaks (highest level)
Superinfection - Answers A new infection that develops when treating a primary infection
Bacterial resistance - Answers Stems from changes in microbe NOT changes in drug; i.e bugs
become resistant; drugs do not become resistant
Penicillin - Answers Beta-lactam antibiotic; all beta-lactam antibiotics disrupt the cell wall
Penicillin's mechanism of action - Answers Inhibition of transpeptidases and activation of
autolysins
Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) - Answers Molecular targets for penicillin, only expressed
during growth and division
Gram negative (GN) cell envelope - Answers Has another layer (an outer membrane) which is
harder to penetrate (penicillin not very effective)
Penicillinases - Answers Enzymes that breakdown the beta-lactam ring -> makes drug useless
Altered PBPs - Answers Low affinity for penicillin (and beta-lactam drugs); MRSA has altered
PBPs
Penicillin G - Answers Prototype, most used; bactericidal to many GP and some GN bacteria;
