Lactam

Lactams are a type of organic compound. They have a ring structure with a nitrogen atom next to a carbonyl. They are amides of amino acids.

Reactions

Lactams react with water to make amino acids. This is a type of hydrolysis. Beta-lactamase is an enzyme that hydrolyses penicillins into penicillinoic acid. This is part of how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

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Sources