Physical Methods
This form of moist heat is effective for sterilizing medical instruments at 121°C for 15 mins.
What is an autoclave?
This group of disinfectants includes ethanol and isopropanol, often used on skin.
What are alcohols?
This process removes microbes from air using HEPA systems.
What is air filtration?
The lowest concentration of a drug that visibly inhibits microbial growth.
What is the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)?
Penicillins and cephalosporins interfere with the synthesis of this bacterial structure.
What is the cell wall?
This dry heat method uses high temperatures (around 160–170°C) for 2+ hours.
What is hot air sterilization?
This type of chemical control is safe to use on living tissue.
What is antisepsis?
This technique uses membrane filters to sterilize heat-sensitive liquids.
What is liquid filtration?
This disk diffusion method tests bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics.
What is the Kirby-Bauer test?
Aminoglycosides and tetracyclines inhibit this process by targeting the 30S ribosomal subunit.
What is protein synthesis?
This type of radiation damages DNA and is used to sterilize medical equipment and food.
What is ionizing radiation?
These potent chemicals inactivate proteins and nucleic acids; examples include formaldehyde.
What are aldehydes?
A physical method that reduces microbial load on inanimate surfaces, without sterilization.
What is decontamination?
This term describes a drug’s ability to target microbial processes without harming the host.
What is selective toxicity?
Rifampin interferes with this nucleic acid process in bacteria.
What is transcription?
The process that destroys or removes all viable microorganisms, including endospores.
What is sterilization?
These surfactant-based disinfectants are commonly found in household cleaning products.
What are quaternary ammonium compounds (quats)?
A physical microbial control method used to remove transient microbes from hands.
What is hand scrubbing?
This drug class blocks DNA gyrase, essential for bacterial DNA replication.
What are fluoroquinolones? (or) What inhibits DNA synthesis?
Sulfonamides inhibit folic acid synthesis, targeting this essential metabolic pathway.
What is nucleotide synthesis (or folate metabolism)?