An antibiotic is a substance produced by one organism that can destroy another. The term literally means “against life.” One of the earliest discovered and widely used antibiotics is Penicillin. Penicillin is collected from the Penicillium mold. Alexander Fleming is known for discovering this antibiotic. In 1901, he went to St. Mary Hospital to study medicine. In 1914, during World War I, Alexander Fleming joined the British Royal Army Medical Corps. He wanted to reduce the number of soldiers dying from infection. One day in 1928, before throwing away some old Petri dishes of culture, Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered a blue mold growing on a harmful chemical. The mold seemed to be killing off the bacteria. In the late 1930’s, other scientists found a way to make a large amount of Penicillin using machines. In World War II, Penicillin was used to cure many infections. In 1945, Alexander Fleming was awarded a Nobel Prize for medicine. The discovery of antibiotics has benefitted society in many different ways. The introduction of the first antibiotic has been known as one of the greatest advances in medicine. Penicillin has been a dramatic medical breakthrough. Before the introduction of the antibiotic, there was no effective cure for infections such as pneumonia or rheumatic fever. After Penicillin has been introduced, many doctors could cure blood poisoning, infections, and diseases.
Overuse and misuse of antibiotics over the years has caused bacteria to grow resistant. Therefore, scientists have to work hard to