Glossary
Monday, 6 May 2024, 7:37 AM
Site: Open Learning
Course: Understanding antibiotic resistance (UAR_1)
Glossary: Glossary
O
opportunistic pathogensMicroorganisms that are normally commensal and do not harm their host but can become pathogenic and cause infection when the host's immune defences are compromised. |
organellesMembrane-bound components of eukaryotic cells that are specialised to carry out particular functions. |
osmosisThe process by which water moves through a partially permeable membrane from a less concentrated solution of, for example, salt (where there is a relatively high concentration of water and a low concentration of salt) to a more concentrated one (where there is a relatively low concentration of water and a high concentration of salt). |
P
pathogenicCapable of causing disease. |
penicillinaseThe first identified β-lactamase. It hydrolyses and destroys penicillin but not other β-lactam antibiotics such as cephalosporins. |
penicillin-binding protein 2a (abbreviated to PBP2a)A penicillin-binding protein with low affinity for penicillin and other β-lactams. |
penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs)Bacterial enzymes that are essential for bacterial cell wall synthesis. They are the target of β-lactam antibiotics. |
peptidoglycanA major component of bacterial cell walls. A large polymer, consisting of sugars and amino acids, that forms a mesh-like layer outside the bacterial cell membrane. |
phage therapyTreatment for bacterial infections that exploits the ability of bacteriophages to lyse and kill the bacteria they infect. |
pharmacological propertiesThe characteristics of a drug that relate to how it is used and its effects in the body. |