Penicillin: An accidental discovery which revolutionized the course of medicine

Discovery of Penicillin:

Penicillin was first discovered in 1928 by Dr. Alexander Fleming and is now the most
widely used antibiotic in the world. The discovery of penicillin signaled the beginning of the
antibiotic era. Before penicillin, there was no effective treatment for infections like pneumonia,
gonorrhea, or rheumatic fever and hospitals were crowded with patients.

On September 3, 1928, Fleming started sorting through petri plates containing colonies of
Staphylococcus, the bacteria that causes boils, sore throats, and abscesses. He spotted something
peculiar on one of the dishes. It was speckled with colonies, except for one location where a blob
of mold was forming. The area around the mold, which was eventually identified as a rare strain
of Penicillium notatum, was clear, as if the mold had produced something that prevented bacteria
from proliferating.

Then, Fleming acquired an extract from the mold after isolating it and identifying it as
belonging to the Penicillium genus, and named its active ingredient penicillin. Penicillin has an
antibacterial impact on staphylococci and other gram-positive organisms. Penicillin's discovery
was a tremendous medical breakthrough. Penicillin was the first antibiotic that was efficient in
killing microorganisms. It is apparent that penicillin's initial impact was immediate and powerful
after just over 75 years of clinical usage. Its discovery revolutionized drug development in
pharmaceutical business, and clinical application to infectious disease treatment.

Penicillin and Its Mechanism

Penicillin is an antibiotic that kills bacteria or inhibits them from replicating. Penicillin
acts on stopping bacteria from making peptidoglycan, a chemical found in the cell wall that gives
it the power it needs to survive in the human body. The medicine works by targeting enzymes
that help bacteria develop their cell walls. The medicine induces bacteria to die by weakening
their cell walls, allowing a person to recover from a bacterial infection. Despite the fact that
penicillin is beneficial to human lives, it also has its downsides. Taking penicillin can cause
allergies which include rash, hives, itching, skin swelling, and anaphylaxis. Penicillin’s adverse
effects develop one to two hours after starting treatment and lasts for 12 to 24 hours.
Penicillin in the Modern World

The discovery of penicillin was a significant breakthrough in the medical world.

Penicillin was the first antibiotic that was effective in killing bacteria. This meant that serious
illnesses could be cured even if the patient already had the disease. Infections that were
previously severe and often fatal, such as bacterial endocarditis, bacterial meningitis, and
pneumococcal pneumonia, could now be treated easily. Today, penicillin and penicillin-type
drugs are still broadly used, though resistance has limited their use in some populations and for
certain diseases. It is prescribed for the treatment of bacterial infections of the ear, nose, and
throat. It is also used to treat sinusitis, skin infections, lower respiratory tract infections, stomach,
intestines, kidneys, and bladder infections.

Indeed, the discovery of penicillin was revolutionary since it could attack and destroy a
wide spectrum of microorganisms. Penicillin gave hope towards treating infections that were
formerly severe and even fatal. This discovery sparked a quest for other natural compounds with
antibacterial action, which eventually led to the development of new antibiotics like
streptomycin and tetracycline. It’s hard to imagine what the world would look like today if
Alexander Flemming had not left out his dirty staphylococcus plates while on vacation and
ultimately discovered the mold containing penicillin.

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