- 1. The discovery of penicillin, often hailed as one of the greatest accidental innovations in the history of medicine, occurred in 1928 when Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming returned to his laboratory at St. Mary's Hospital in London after a two-week vacation. Upon his return, he noticed that a Petri dish containing Staphylococcus bacteria had become contaminated with mold, specifically a strain of Penicillium notatum. Strikingly, the areas surrounding the mold showed a clear inhibition of bacterial growth, leading Fleming to deduce that the mold released a substance that effectively killed the bacteria. This fortunate accident marked the beginning of modern antibiotics, as Fleming’s subsequent research into this substance, which he named penicillin, paved the way for its mass production and utilization during World War II to treat infected wounds and save countless lives. The journey from a chance observation in a messy lab to the development of one of the most revolutionary medicines in history showcases how unplanned discoveries can lead to monumental shifts in health care and medical treatment.
Who discovered penicillin?
A) Joseph Lister
B) Louis Pasteur
C) Alexander Fleming
D) Albert Calmette
- 2. What year was penicillin discovered?
A) 1941
B) 1950
C) 1934
D) 1928
- 3. What was Fleming studying when he discovered penicillin?
A) Fungi
B) Bacteria
C) Parasites
D) Viruses
- 4. Which organism is responsible for producing penicillin?
A) Staphylococcus aureus
B) Escherichia coli
C) Penicillium notatum
D) Streptococcus pneumoniae
- 5. What type of drug is penicillin?
A) Antibiotic
B) Analgesic
C) Antiviral
D) Antifungal
- 6. Who further developed penicillin for mass production?
A) Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain
B) Edward Jenner
C) Robert Koch
D) Paul Ehrlich
- 7. During which war was penicillin mass-produced?
A) World War I
B) Korean War
C) World War II
D) Vietnam War
- 8. What was the original name given to penicillin by Fleming?
A) Fleming's mold
B) Bacillin
C) Penicillium
D) Penicillinase
- 9. What kind of infections can penicillin treat?
A) Bacterial infections
B) Fungal infections
C) Parasitic infections
D) Viral infections
- 10. What is a common form of penicillin used today?
A) Aspirin
B) Amoxicillin
C) Ciprofloxacin
D) Ibuprofen
- 11. How does penicillin work?
A) By interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis
B) By neutralizing toxins
C) By blocking viral replication
D) By boosting the immune system
- 12. What honor was given to Alexander Fleming for his discovery?
A) Presidential Medal of Freedom
B) Pulitzer Prize
C) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
D) Nobel Prize in Literature
- 13. What type of organism produces penicillin?
A) Bacteria
B) Viruses
C) Plants
D) Fungi
- 14. What bacterial disease was notably treated with penicillin?
A) Malaria
B) Syphilis
C) Tuberculosis
D) HIV/AIDS
- 15. In which country was penicillin first developed for mass production?
A) United States
B) Great Britain
C) Germany
D) France
- 16. What year did Alexander Fleming win the Nobel Prize?
A) 1945
B) 1952
C) 1928
D) 1939
- 17. Which term describes a resistance of bacteria to penicillin?
A) Natural selection
B) Vaccine evasion
C) Bacteriophage
D) Penicillin resistance
- 18. What was the original method to produce penicillin?
A) Isolation from animals
B) Synthesis
C) Fermentation
D) Extraction from plants
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