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Antibiotics and Penicillin.
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Mon Oct 13 2003
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Antibiotics: Penicillin Introduction Antibiotics belong to a group of chemical substances referred to as secondary metabolites. Antibiotics inhibit the growth of, or kill, bacteria. The first naturally-occurring antibiotic and the first to be used therapeutically was penicillin. It was first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1929 almost by accident. He was growing plates of pathogenic bacteria and noticed that, when they were contaminated with the mould Penicillium notatum, growth of the bacteria was inhibited. Penicillin was isolated from the medium and found to be responsible for the effect. Since the 1940's, Penicillin and other antibiotics of fungal origin have produced a revolution in the history of medicine to the extent that many major infectious diseases have largely been brought under control. ............ As previously mentioned in the introduction, antibiotics belong to a group of chemical substances referred to as secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are substances (e.g. penicillin) that are by-products of processes that are...
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