Penicillin

Benefits

Before the introduction of antibiotics, there were no effective treatments for infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea or rheumatic fever. Penicillin prevents the bacteria from synthesizing peptidoglycan, a molecule in the cell wall that provides the wall with the strength it needs to survive in the human body. The drug greatly weakens the cell wall and causes bacteria to die, allowing a person to recover from a bacterial infection. Different kinds of penicillin are used for various infections. Some types of penicillin are amoxicillin, ampicillin, Augmentin, penicillin G and penicillin V.

Negative Impact

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, some strains of bacteria have become resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics, making those infections more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. This can cause more serious infections, such as pneumococcal infections (pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and meningitis), skin infections, and tuberculosis.

Invention History

Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) found the first effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. Sir Alexander wrote numerous papers on bacteriology, immunology and chemotherapy, including original descriptions of lysozyme and penicillin. They have been published in medical and scientific journals.

References

https://www.livescience.com/65598-penicillin.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4159373/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4520913/