WHAT IS PENICILLIN?

Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. Penicillin antibiotics are historically significant because they were the first drugs that were effective against many previously serious diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and staphylococcus infections. Penicillins are still widely used today, though many types of bacteria are now resistant. All penicillins are Beta-lactam antibiotics and are used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms. The term "penicillin" can also refer to the mixture of substances that are naturally produced. Penicillium notatum, also known as Penicillium chrysogenum, is a mold that is commonly found in homes. Penicillium spp. are known as blue-green molds that occur on bread, fruits, and nuts. It is also used for the production of green and blue mold cheese. This species of fungus is used to produce the antibiotic penicillin. Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered.

The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that if Penicillium notatum was grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with antibiotic properties, which he dubbed penicillin. This serendipitous observation began the modern era of antibiotic discovery. The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian nobel laureate Howard Walter Florey.