Chemicals and Drugs

Penicillins

A group of antibiotics that contain 6-aminopenicillanic acid with a side chain attached to the 6-amino group. The penicillin nucleus is the chief structural requirement for biological activity. The side-chain structure determines many of the antibacterial and pharmacological characteristics. (Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1065)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A group of antibiotics that contain 6-aminopenicillanic acid with a side chain attached to the 6-amino group. The penicillin nucleus is the chief structural requirement for biological activity. The side-chain structure determines many of the antibacterial and pharmacological characteristics. (Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1065)

MeSH Record

Classification

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

Loading graph…

Drag nodes to rearrange; hover to trace links; click a node to open its page.

Drug Class

Pharmacological Action

MeSH Record

Synonyms

3 entry terms
  • Antibiotics, Penicillin
  • Penicillin Antibiotics
  • Penicillin

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

25 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, agonists, analysis, antagonists & inhibitors, biosynthesis, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

History Note

1975; was PENICILLIN 1963-74; /adv eff-pois-tox was PENICILLIN TOXICOLOGY 1963-65; HETACILLIN was heading 1974-84

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QV 354

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Penicillins. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D010406. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D010406
  2. Penicillins. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillin
  3. Penicillins. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12190