.OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank Chapter 14:
Antimicrobial Drugs
Chapter 14: Antimicrobial Drugs
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Which was the first antimicrobial agent discovered to treat syphilis?
A. chloramphenicol
B. compound 606*
C. penicillin
D. sulfonamide
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 23
2. Who is credited for first finding an antimicrobial agent?
A. Paul Ehrlich*
B. Alexander Fleming
C. Edward Jenner
D. Joseph Lister
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14
3. Who is credited for first finding a naturally occurring antimicrobial agent?
A. Paul Ehrlich
B. Alexander Fleming*
C. Edward Jenner
D. Joseph Lister
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 26
4. Alexander Fleming first observed a mold (now known as Penicillium notatum) that was able
to inhibit which organism?
A. Escherichia
B. Listeria
C. Staphylococcus*
D. Streptococcus
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 26
5. Which of the following is a semisynthetic antimicrobial agent?
A. actinomycin
B. ampicillin*
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, .OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank Chapter 14:
Antimicrobial Drugs
C. streptomycin
D. neomycin
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14
6. Which describes the difference between a secondary infection and a superinfection?
A. A secondary infection is a type of superinfection that develops when antibiotics are
not given.
B. A superinfection is a type of secondary infection that can develop when antibiotics
kill much of the patient’s normal flora.*
C. A superinfection is a type of secondary infection that develops when antibiotics taken
to treat a particular pathogen do not completely kill all of that original pathogen.
D. A secondary infection is a type of superinfection that develops when the pathogen
mutates in response to the antimicrobial agent.
Difficulty: Difficult
ASM Standard: 14, 23
7. Life-threatening diseases caused by bacterial pathogens should be treated with which of the
following?
A. bactericidal agents only*
B. bacteriostatic agents only
C. both bacteriostatic and bactericidal agents
D. neither bacteriostatic nor bactericidal agents
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 23
8. Which of the following is a -lactam antibiotic?
A. *
Page 2 of 23
, .OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank Chapter 14:
Antimicrobial Drugs
B.
C.
D.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 26
9. Which of the following is not a -lactam antibiotic?
A. carbapenem
B. cephalosporin
C. penicillin
D. tetracycline*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 26
10. How does penicillin work?
Page 3 of 23
Antimicrobial Drugs
Chapter 14: Antimicrobial Drugs
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Which was the first antimicrobial agent discovered to treat syphilis?
A. chloramphenicol
B. compound 606*
C. penicillin
D. sulfonamide
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 23
2. Who is credited for first finding an antimicrobial agent?
A. Paul Ehrlich*
B. Alexander Fleming
C. Edward Jenner
D. Joseph Lister
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14
3. Who is credited for first finding a naturally occurring antimicrobial agent?
A. Paul Ehrlich
B. Alexander Fleming*
C. Edward Jenner
D. Joseph Lister
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 26
4. Alexander Fleming first observed a mold (now known as Penicillium notatum) that was able
to inhibit which organism?
A. Escherichia
B. Listeria
C. Staphylococcus*
D. Streptococcus
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 26
5. Which of the following is a semisynthetic antimicrobial agent?
A. actinomycin
B. ampicillin*
Page 1 of 23
, .OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank Chapter 14:
Antimicrobial Drugs
C. streptomycin
D. neomycin
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14
6. Which describes the difference between a secondary infection and a superinfection?
A. A secondary infection is a type of superinfection that develops when antibiotics are
not given.
B. A superinfection is a type of secondary infection that can develop when antibiotics
kill much of the patient’s normal flora.*
C. A superinfection is a type of secondary infection that develops when antibiotics taken
to treat a particular pathogen do not completely kill all of that original pathogen.
D. A secondary infection is a type of superinfection that develops when the pathogen
mutates in response to the antimicrobial agent.
Difficulty: Difficult
ASM Standard: 14, 23
7. Life-threatening diseases caused by bacterial pathogens should be treated with which of the
following?
A. bactericidal agents only*
B. bacteriostatic agents only
C. both bacteriostatic and bactericidal agents
D. neither bacteriostatic nor bactericidal agents
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 23
8. Which of the following is a -lactam antibiotic?
A. *
Page 2 of 23
, .OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank Chapter 14:
Antimicrobial Drugs
B.
C.
D.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 14, 26
9. Which of the following is not a -lactam antibiotic?
A. carbapenem
B. cephalosporin
C. penicillin
D. tetracycline*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 14, 26
10. How does penicillin work?
Page 3 of 23
