Microbiology (BIOL 201) Antibiotics Exam Review (Mechanisms, Resistance, Gram+/Gram- Patterns)
University of Georgia
Microbiology (BIOL 201) | Exam Review

Overview
A BIOL 201 exam-season review of the antibiotic classes students confuse most: mechanisms of action, Gram-positive vs Gram-negative coverage patterns, and resistance mechanisms that show up in vignettes.

Key topics
•cell wall inhibitors (beta-lactams, vancomycin) and where they work
•protein synthesis inhibitors (30S vs 50S) with high-yield examples
•DNA/RNA inhibitors (fluoroquinolones, rifampin, metronidazole) core uses
•Gram+ vs Gram- structural differences (outer membrane, porins) and why coverage differs
•resistance mechanisms (beta-lactamases, altered targets, efflux) and common pitfalls

Suggested study tasks
•make a 2-column chart of drug class -> mechanism -> 2 example drugs
•classify 12 mini cases by which antibiotic class is most reasonable and why
•label 10 antibiotics as bactericidal vs bacteriostatic (high level)
•explain 8 resistance scenarios (beta-lactamase, MRSA, altered ribosome) in one sentence
•do a timed recall outline of 15 must-know antibiotic keywords

Common pitfalls
•treating Gram stain as the only determinant of coverage
•mixing up 30S vs 50S examples
•forgetting the outer membrane barrier in Gram-negative bacteria
•assuming "broad spectrum" is always best
•confusing resistance mechanism names with what they actually do