Cefuroxime is the chemical structure associated with which antibiotic class?

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

Answer: (C)

Antibiotic classes are defined by their characteristic chemical scaffold. Cefuroxime has the cephem nucleus—a beta-lactam ring fused to a six-membered dihydrothiazine ring—which is the hallmark of cephalosporins. This structure distinguishes cephalosporins from penicillins, which have a five-membered thiazolidine ring, and from non-beta-lactam classes like macrolides (macrocyclic lactone rings) and quinolones (bicyclic quinolone cores). So cefuroxime belongs to the cephalosporin class. For context, cephalosporins are often discussed by generations based on spectrum of activity; cefuroxime is a second-generation cephalosporin with broader activity against certain gram-negative bacteria than first-generation agents.