NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination) Practice Exam

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Study for the NAPLEX exam with a comprehensive quiz featuring multiple-choice questions and in-depth explanations. Build your pharmacological knowledge and increase your chances of passing the pharmacist licensure examination!

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Which antibiotics act as cell membrane inhibitors?

Tetracyclines
Polymyxins
Sulfonamides
Fluoroquinolones

The correct answer is: Polymyxins

Polymyxins are the antibiotics that act as cell membrane inhibitors. Polymyxins disrupt the bacterial cell membrane by interacting with phospholipids, leading to destabilization and eventual lysis of the bacterial cell. This mechanism of action makes them effective against a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria. Option A, Tetracyclines, inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit and interfering with the attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the mRNA-ribosome complex. Option C, Sulfonamides, act as antimetabolites by inhibiting the synthesis of folic acid, which is essential for bacterial growth. Option D, Fluoroquinolones, inhibit bacterial DNA synthesis by targeting bacterial type II topoisomerases, DNA gyrase, and topoisomerase IV.