Life Changing Science Discovery: The First Antibiotic - Penicillin

We all know how powerful Science and technology is. Over the course of ages here on earth , Science and technology have made countless discoveries that have improved the quality of our life and helped us to understand the world around us.

It is very hard to imagined life now without looking on these extra-ordinary things that were discovered by brilliant minds. We knew how these researchers and scientists around the globe have worked tirelessly to bring us this future, so now i will be writing a big look back to some of the life changing discovery so let's take a step back and applaud their tremendous efforts.

Alexander Fleming and the First Antibiotic

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It is easy to marvel at the wonders that exist on our planet and in the surrounding universe, the known discoveries, right? Without any doubts, we would probably be still dying and suffering from things such as stomach ulcers, tooth abcesses, strep throat and scarlet fever, staph infections, lyme disease, leptospirosis etc if It there was no Alexander Fleming who accidentally discovered the Penicillin.

The year 1928 was very historical for many reason especially in the filed of Science and Medicine.When a Scottish scientist, Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin, which he grew in his lab using mold and fungi. Without antibiotics, infections like strep throat could be deadly.

What is Antibiotics ?

According to Science.net, Antibiotics also known as antibacterials, are medications that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria.

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They include a range of powerful drugs and are used to treat diseases caused by bacteria. Accordingly to what I've read Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections and thus originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another.

What is Penicillin ?

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Throughout when its discovered, This drug have save a million people lives throughout of years.Fro what i have read, In 2010, more than 7.3 billion standard units of penicillin (pill, capsule, or ampoule) were consumed, worldwide. We can imagine how big the impact of this drugs is.

"Penicillins are a group of antibiotics used to treat a large range of bacterial infections. They are derived from Penicillium fungi and can be taken orally or via injection."-Science Medical

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In addition to that, the basic structure unit of all the penicillins consists of a thiazolidine ring fused with a beta-lactam ring, creating a fundamental nucleus (also known as 6-amino penicillanic acid) crucial for their antibacterial activity.

The Accidental Discovery

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Little we knew the discovery was not as we thought as it was accidental, In November 1921, while nursing a cold, Fleming discovered lysozyme, a mildly antiseptic enzyme present in body fluids, when a drop of mucus dripped from his nose onto a culture of bacteria. Thinking that his mucus might have some kind of effect on bacterial growth, he mixed it with the culture.

Fleming’s legendary discovery of penicillin occurred in 1928, while he was investigating staphylococcus, a common type of bacteria that causes boils and can also cause disastrous infections in patients with weakened immune systems he was not expecting that. According to what i've read it was very late to realized the impact of this discovery.

"He discovered that the antibacterial substance was not produced by all molds, only by certain strains of Penicillium, namely, Penicillium notatum. Although he could not isolate it, he named the active substance “penicillin".

In in the laboratory, the temperature conditions that prevailed during Fleming’s absence permitted both the bacteria and the mold spores to grow; had the incubator been used, only the bacteria could have grown.

It was a discovery that deserved a recognition, throughout the years the penicillin was fully developed and studied Lorey, Chain and Fleming shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, but their relationship was tainted over who should receive the most credit for penicillin.

The Impact of Penicillin

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• Some ear and sinus infections
• Dental infections
• Skin infections
• Meningitis (swelling of the brain and spinal cord)
• Strep throat
• Bladder and kidney infections
• Bacterial pneumonias
• Whooping cough
  Watch this Video from Youtube that talk about the benefits, resistance and importance of this drugs.
  

The discovery have made a our life a lot easier. The introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, which began the era of antibiotics, has been recognized as one of the greatest advances in therapeutic medicine and something amazing to look back , right? Try to imagine life without antibiotics. We wouldn’t live nearly as long as we do without them and this is something we are very thankful for.

Sources
Book
1.Bud R. Penicillin: Triumph and Tragedy. Oxford University Press, 2007; pp. 74-95

Article/Journal
1.Newman, T. (2017)Penicillin: How Does Penicillin Work?. retrieved on May 06, 2018 from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216798.php

2.Drugs.com(2017)Penicillin. Retrieved on May 06, 2018 from https://www.drugs.com/penicillin.html

3.Petr, H. (2017)Life-Changing Science Discoveries. Retrieved on May 06, 2018 from https://www.factmonster.com/science/general-science/life-changing-science-discoveries

4.Endocrine Today(2008)Penicillin: An accidental discovery changed the course of medicine. Retrieved on May 06, 2018 from https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/news/print/endocrine-today/%7B15afd2a1-2084-4ca6-a4e6-7185f5c4cfb0%7D/penicillin-an-accidental-discovery-changed-the-course-of-medicine

5.Mcallen , P. (2017)Antibiotic Drugs Dose and Side Effects.Retrieved on May 06, 2018 on https://www.dialdish.com/antibiotic-drugs-dose-and-side-effects/

Video
1.News 7/24.(2017)Penicillin: Discovery, Benefits and Resistance. Retrieved on May 06, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com