Answer to Question #34000 in Microbiology for tash

Question

1. the semisynthetic methicillin has the advantage of ?
2. today antiserum is used for ?

Answer 1

Methicillin is a semisynthetic derivative of penicillin. It was first produced in the late 1950s and was developed as a type of antibiotic called a penicillinase-resistant penicillin—it contained a modification to the original penicillin structure that made it resistant to a bacterial enzyme called penicillinase (beta-lactamase). This enzyme is produced by most strains of Staphylococcus and disrupts certain types of penicillins by hydrolyzing the beta-lactam ring that is central to the antimicrobial activity of these drugs. Antiserum (plural: antisera) is blood serum containing polyclonal antibodies. Antiserum is used to pass on passive immunity to many diseases.