Cefaclor belongs to which antibiotic class?

• A. Macrolides
• B. Penicillin
• C. Quinolones
• D. Cephalosporin

Answer: (D)

Cefaclor is a cephalosporin, a type of beta-lactam antibiotic. Like other cephalosporins, it works by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis through binding to penicillin-binding proteins, which blocks the cross-linking of peptidoglycan and leads to bacterial cell lysis. Cefaclor is a second-generation cephalosporin, offering better activity against certain Gram-negative organisms while retaining good activity against many Gram-positive bacteria. This places it in the cephalosporin class rather than macrolides (which inhibit protein synthesis), quinolones (which inhibit DNA replication), or penicillin antibiotics (a different beta-lactam family).