Cefazolin

**Semantic type:** Antibiotic|Organic Chemical|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A beta-lactam antibiotic and first-generation cephalosporin with bactericidal activity. Cefazolin binds to and inactivates penicillin-binding proteins (PBP) located on the inner membrane of the bacterial cell wall. Inactivation of PBPs interferes with the cross-linkage of peptidoglycan chains necessary for bacterial cell wall strength and rigidity. This results in the weakening of the bacterial cell wall and causes cell lysis.

**Synonyms:** - (6R,7R)-3-(((5-Methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio)methyl)-8-oxo-7-(2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)acetamido)-5-thia-1-azabicyclo(4.2.0)oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic Acid - CEFAZOLIN