preview

Penicillin Research Paper

Decent Essays

Penicillin is an antibiotic used today to prevent bacteria from reproducing. Since its discovery in 1928, it has been developed into several different types that are commonly used all around the world. Events that led to the use of penicillin were an accidental discovery, but through extensive research and testing, it has been developed and produced into a useful medicine to fight off bacteria. A major event that leads to the use of penicillin today was its discovery, despite that was a total accident. In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming went on vacation and left his lab in a total mess. When he returned from his trip, he noticed some odd things had occurred. The text states, “He observed that a plate culture of Staphylococcus had been contaminated by a blue-green mold and that the colonies of bacteria adjacent to the mold were being dissolved”(Bellis 123). Not realizing it at first, but Fleming had just discovered that mold destroys bacteria. This rare substance was called Penicillium notatum, but the effects that penicillin would have on the human body was unclear, which prevented Fleming from doing any further development. Even though …show more content…

Howard Florey and Ernst Chain believed there was medical potential in penicillin, and began to study how this could be safely administered to humans. Brittany Connors states, “Part of the reason for their increased effort in discovering how penicillin could be used on humans was that a drug was needed to reduce bacterial infections in soldiers’ wounds,”(126). If they succeeded in in perfecting the use of penicillin, it could be used on humans and the results could be life-changing. After many studies and clinical trials. “Penicillin was shown to be the most effective antibacterial agent to date,”(Bellis 124). An antidote with this kind of ability to kill off bacteria would prove to be crucial in the war and it would save many people’s

Get Access