The Discovery of Penicillin — Passage and Quiz

Firsthand Account: Alexander Fleming's Laboratory Notes September 3, 1928: Upon returning from holiday, I noticed something unusual in one of my Petri dishes containing Staphylococcus bacteria. A mold had contaminated the dish, and around this mold was a clear area where no bacteria were growing. This is most curious. I have isolated the mold and will investigate further. This accidental discovery could potentially lead to something significant in the field of antibacterial substances.

Secondhand Account: Medical Journal Article, 1945

The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 revolutionized modern medicine. Fleming noticed that a mold contaminating one of his bacterial cultures had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. He identified the mold as belonging to the Penicillium genus and found that it produced a substance with antibiotic properties, which he named penicillin. However, it wasn't until the late 1930s and early 1940s that a team of scientists, led by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, developed penicillin into a usable antibiotic drug. This discovery has since saved millions of lives and opened the door to the development of many other antibiotics.