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