History of penicillin
History of Penicillin
Penicillin (pronunciation: /ˌpɛnɪˈsɪlɪn/) is a group of antibiotics which include penicillin G (intravenous use), penicillin V (oral use), procaine penicillin, and benzathine penicillin (intramuscular use). Penicillin antibiotics were among the first medications to be effective against many bacterial infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci.
Etymology
The term "penicillin" is derived from Penicillium, the fungus genus from which it was first isolated. The term Penicillium comes from the Latin word penicillus, which means "paintbrush," referring to the way the fungus appears in culture.
Discovery
Penicillin was first discovered in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. Fleming was working on a culture of disease-causing bacteria when he noticed the spores of a little green mold (Penicillium notatum) in one of his culture plates. He observed that the presence of the mold killed or prevented the growth of the bacteria.
Development
The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian Nobel laureate Howard Florey and the German-born British biochemist Ernst Chain. In 1938, they began to investigate Fleming's reports and developed methods for the large-scale production and purification of penicillin.
Impact
The discovery and development of penicillin changed the course of medicine and has saved many lives since its first use in World War II. It was the first antibiotic and led to the development of many other antibiotics. Its discovery is among the most important developments in the history of modern medicine.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on History of penicillin
- Wikipedia's article - History of penicillin
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