Question:medium

Structural components of Streptomycin antibiotic

Show Hint

Streptomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. Its molecule is made by joining three sugar-like pieces together.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Streptidine and streptose only
  • Streptidine and N-methyl-L-glucosamine only
  • Streptose and N-methyl-L-glucosamine only
  • Streptidine, streptose and N-methyl-L-glucosamine
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: What is Streptomycin?
Streptomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic produced by Streptomyces griseus. It was the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. Its complex structure consists of three sugar-like units joined together.

Step 2: The three structural components.
Streptomycin is made of three parts: (a) Streptidine - a cyclohexane derivative with two guanidino groups, (b) Streptose - a branched-chain sugar (L-streptose), (c) N-methyl-L-glucosamine - an amino sugar with a methyl group on the nitrogen.

Step 3: Why option 4 is correct.
All three components must be named together to describe the complete structure. Option 4 lists all three: "Streptidine, streptose and N-methyl-L-glucosamine."

Step 4: Why other options are incomplete.
Option 1 misses N-methyl-L-glucosamine. Option 2 misses streptose. Option 3 misses streptidine. None of these partial answers correctly describes the full molecule.

Step 5: Memory tip.
Remember: Streptomycin = Streptidine + Streptobiose. Streptobiose itself = Streptose + N-methyl-L-glucosamine. So the complete molecule has three named parts.

Answer: Option (4) — Streptidine, streptose and N-methyl-L-glucosamine
Was this answer helpful?
0