Methicillin is an Example of the Beta-Lactam Class of Drugs

Question

Methicillin is an example of the beta-lactam class of drugs that
A) disrupts cytoplasmic membranes.
B) inhibits cell wall synthesis.
C) inhibits nucleic acid synthesis.
D) inhibits metabolic pathways.
E) inhibits protein synthesis.

Accepted Answer

Methicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that works by inhibiting cell wall synthesis in bacteria. Beta-lactams bind to and inhibit enzymes called penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), which are involved in making the cell wall. This leads to weakened and ultimately, ruptured bacterial cell walls, resulting in bacterial death.