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Who discovered penicillin?
A. Louis Pasteur
B. Alexander Fleming
C. Robert Koch
D. Edward Jenner
Correct Answer Is Option = Alexander Fleming
Notes / Explanation
Penicillin, the first of the substances known as antibiotics, was discovered by Alexander Fleming, a scientist whose accidental observation led to one of the most important advances in the history of medicine. Before the discovery of antibiotics, infections caused by germs were among the most common and deadly threats to human life, and even small wounds could lead to serious infections that the doctors of the time were often powerless to cure. The discovery of penicillin changed this situation completely and saved countless lives. The story of the discovery is famous because it came about partly by chance. While Fleming was working in his laboratory, he noticed that one of the dishes in which he was growing certain germs had become contaminated by a mould, and he observed that in the area around this mould the germs had been killed and were unable to grow. Instead of simply discarding the spoiled dish, Fleming recognised the significance of what he was seeing, realising that the mould was producing some substance that destroyed the germs. He identified this substance, which came from the mould, and gave it the name by which it became known. This was the crucial first step, but the substance was difficult to produce in large amounts and to purify, and at first it could not be used easily as a medicine. Some years later, other scientists carried forward the work of developing penicillin into a practical drug that could be produced in quantity and used to treat patients, and their efforts, combined with the original discovery, brought the new medicine into widespread use, particularly during a time of great need when it was used to treat the wounds and infections of soldiers. The introduction of penicillin and the antibiotics that followed it transformed the treatment of disease, making it possible to cure many infections that had previously been fatal, and it opened the way to a whole new field of medicine. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that penicillin, the first antibiotic, was discovered by Alexander Fleming, that the discovery came about when he noticed a mould killing germs in his laboratory, that penicillin is produced by a mould, and that it transformed medicine by making it possible to cure many previously deadly infections.
