[Biology Class Notes] on Penicillin Pdf for Exam

We all, as living organisms, are susceptible to certain bacterial infections. Before the invention of modern medicine, even simple bruises and cuts had the seriousness and potential to turn fatal. Not to mention that even having a common cold could be dangerous and deadly. There were literally no ways to combat microbial infections. That is until the penicillin plant was discovered. Yes, penicillin is the first antibiotic to be discovered and we are going to learn more about it.

Meaning and Source of Penicillin

With the introduction of penicillin into the world, the face of medicine changed. It is basically a member of the group of important antibiotics that can be used in order to treat certain bacterial infections in the best way. Before penicillin was introduced, there was definitely no way of fighting the infections that were caused by certain bacteria. Some of the examples of diseases that could potentially be fatal were gonorrhea, pneumonia, rheumatic fever, tuberculosis, and much more. However, with the accidental discovery of the penicillin plant that happened in the 1920s, the new age of modern medicine began in a very revolutionary manner.

With the introduction of penicillin, it was hailed as a drug that could miraculously treat ailments and save various lives. It was said that penicillin could treat different infectious diseases. Much more information about the source of penicillin can be found in the notes that we have so that the students can understand it in a better way. In the present world, there are so many different synthetic and natural forms of penicillin provided to treat so many ailments and diseases. However, there are certain bacterial strains that have become more immune to the effects of penicillin along with other antibiotics and hence the infections have become a bit more difficult to handle or treat.

Penicillin Source and Invention

The honor of discovering penicillin is provided to Alexander Fleming, the bacteriology professor situated in London in the year 1928. While returning from his vacation, he cleaned his messy laboratory and noticed different Petri dishes containing the Staphylococcus bacteria were contaminated with a certain mold named Penicillium notatum. This prevented the growth of bacteria and hence the penicillin plant was discovered. This is where penicillin is derived from.

How Does Penicillin Work?

When it comes to the administering of penicillin, it is provided to those people who are suffering from bacterial infections. There are different types of infections caused by bacteria which can be treated pretty easily by penicillin. Some of the examples of these diseases include strep throat, pneumonia, syphilis, meningitis, gonorrhea, and much more.

There are some dental infections that can be treated with penicillin as well. So, there is simply not a single speck of doubt about the fact that penicillin is really revolutionary when it comes to treating bacterial infections. How it works is that it helps in killing bacteria and further prevents the growth of it as well. So, the drug actually works by attacking all the enzymes that tend to build the cell walls of the bacterial infection.

With the involvement of penicillin, the bacteria are not able to synthesize peptidoglycan, a proper molecule in the walls of the cells and hence it doesn’t have the required strength that it needs to survive in the body of human beings. So, with the application of penicillin, the cell walls of the bacteria weaken and that causes it to die and hence cures the person with any bacterial infection whatsoever.

There are so many different types of penicillin that are used for different infections such as amoxicillin, Augmentin, Penicillin V, Penicillin G, Ampicillin, and so many others.

What are the Side Effects of Penicillin?

It can be said without a single speck of doubt that penicillin synthesis has led to the saving of so many lives. However, it doesn’t always prove to be helpful for the people for sure. To be precise, there are some people who have often suffered a lot of allergies due to penicillin. Penicillin allergies can cause rashes, itching, skin inflammation, hives, anaphylaxis, and so many other types of symptoms that are not really suitable for some people.

Apart from the allergies, it has been reported that penicillin has now become less effective with the passage of time. This is due to the fact that most bacterial types have become immune to penicillin and are able to completely resist this particular antibiotic that was designed specifically for killing them. Hence, more and more people end up dying. Not to mention that there have also been some cases of misuse or overuse of penicillin that further complicated the case. People need to stop misusing the drug if they want to have better use of it.