Penicillin

If you leave a piece of bread in a warm damp place, mould will soon grow on
it. When this happens, we say that bread has gone mouldy. Mould can grow on all
kinds of things besides food on leather, clothes, even in wood. It grows from tiny
spores which are in the air. Each of spore is like a small mushroom. If the conditions
are right, a single spore quickly can spread and form a mould. It is extremely
common and we all have noticed it.
In 1928, Alexander Fleming found that mould had killed some germs he was
trying to grow in his laboratory. If he had not noticed this, the world would have lost
one of the greatest discoveries of the century. Fleming called the substance
penicillin. Because penicillin can kill germs, doctors use it to treat diseases. It has
saved millions of lives. Scientists grow enormous quantities of common mould so
that they can get penicillin from it in order to make antibiotics, that is, substances
that kills germs. Next time you see some mould on a piece of bread, remember that
it is one of mans greatest friends.