Which suffix is seen in certain antibiotics such as gentamicin?

Which suffix is seen in certain antibiotics such as gentamicin?

• A. Cillin
• B. Nium
• C. Micin
• D. Vir

Answer: (C)

Naming patterns in antibiotics help you identify the drug class. Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside, and a common suffix for several aminoglycosides is -micin. This helps you remember that the drug belongs to that class, which typically works by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit and blocking protein synthesis, resulting in bacterial death. The other endings point to different families: -cillin signals penicillins (beta-lactams), -vir is used for antivirals, and -nium isn’t a standard antibiotic ending. So -micin is the clue that gentamicin is an aminoglycoside.

Naming patterns in antibiotics help you identify the drug class. Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside, and a common suffix for several aminoglycosides is -micin. This helps you remember that the drug belongs to that class, which typically works by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit and blocking protein synthesis, resulting in bacterial death. The other endings point to different families: -cillin signals penicillins (beta-lactams), -vir is used for antivirals, and -nium isn’t a standard antibiotic ending. So -micin is the clue that gentamicin is an aminoglycoside.