This remedy was discovered almost a century ago and brought medicine to a whole new level. Many diseases became curable after his discovery. It's about penicillin, the first antibiotic.
Penicillin inhibits their synthesis in bacteria, which prevents development and reproduction. The significance of the discovery of this drug for pharmacology cannot be overestimated. Penicillin saves lives today. But what was before its discovery? Who made such a gift to humanity? More about this in the article.
What is penicillin
Penicillin inhibits the growth of bacteria and is a waste product (synthesis) of the penicillium fungus. This is a fungus of the genus mold.
What is the peculiarity of this substance? Even those who skipped biology classes at school have heard the word “bacteria” at least a couple of times, and, most likely, they know that these microorganismsthere are both positively affecting the human body (lacto-, bifidobacteria), and negatively. Some small "monsters" cause the most dangerous diseases: meningitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, diphtheria - only a hundredth of them. Penicillin suppresses vital processes in bacteria (more on this below), which stops their reproduction. That is, according to its type of action, the substance described by us is a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
A bit of history
In 1928 (almost a century ago), an unfortunate accident occurred for a biologist in the laboratory of the scientist Alexander Fleming. By chance, mold got into his container with the sowing of bacteria. And while the scientist was thinking about how to deal with the disturbed process of the experiment, he noticed that something was wrong with the bacteria in the container. As we already know, penicillin inhibits the synthesis of bacteria, which stops their reproduction. The sheer bactericidal action of the fungus surprised and puzzled Fleming. This accident marked the beginning of the research. But the first antibiotic began to be treated only two decades later.
In 1940-1941, British scientists Howard Chlory and Ernst Chain devoted their knowledge and enthusiasm to the production of penicillin and began to introduce it into pharmacology. At the end of the Second World War, in 1945, these scientists and the discoverer Fleming deservedly received the Nobel Prize.
The role of the discovery of penicillin for medicine, or What happened before
Manyterrible diseases that instantly take away the lives and he alth of people are a thing of the past precisely thanks to the receipt of the first antibiotic. The significance of this achievement of science cannot be overestimated. Everyone who has ever been sick due to a bacterial infection will agree with this.
Penicillin inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria, that is, it prevents microorganisms from developing and multiplying, and now, thanks to a variety of antibiotics based on it, many infections have become curable with almost no consequences for the body. It is hard and scary to imagine that this was not always the case.
A century ago (not in the Middle Ages, or, in general, the Stone Ages, as many believe), people died from diseases that we now proudly bear on our feet, muffling them with a handful of different pills. Banal sore throat could take the life of a person in a week, pneumonia - even faster. And meningitis was considered incurable, if there were survivors, they lost their mental activity almost entirely, for which the insidious disease was called the “mind stealer”. The discovery that penicillin inhibits bacterial growth and activity has saved thousands of lives and will save billions more. Many microorganisms are defeated with the help of scientists. It is known that penicillin (more precisely, mold from fruits and even camel teams) was treated even before the discovery. However, only the official recognition of the waste products of the fungus made the antibiotic available to everyone.
Penicillin use today
Despite the fact that after the discovery of the first antibiotic, scientists from many countries discovered andother groups of antibacterial agents, the use of penicillin is an effective solution in the treatment of many infectious diseases. Many gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are sensitive to the agent. For example, the ubiquitous streptococci and staphylococci, corynebacterium that lives in the soil and causes a minimum of a rash, a maximum of a terrible disease - diphtheria, microbes that cause meningitis and pneumonia, purulent infectious tonsillitis and abscesses.
What penicillin antibiotics treat
We offer a list of the most well-known diseases that today are treated with penicillin antibiotics (Amoxiclav and Ampicillin, Bicillin, Augmentin):
- Scarlet fever.
- Acute tonsillitis (tonsillitis).
- Pneumonia.
- Anthrax.
- Rheumatism.
- Severe erysipelas.
- Meningitis of bacterial etiology.
- Sepsis.
- Staphylococcal and streptococcal infections.
- Infected purulent wounds of traumatic or postoperative origin.
As you understand, this list is not complete. Staphylococcus alone can be of several types and cause dozens of different diseases. Penicillin inhibits the synthesis of the cell wall in bacteria, which stops their reproduction, disrupts the life cycle.
Benefit of Penicillin
Another advantage of penicillin antibiotics is their mild effect on the bodyperson. Modern powerful antibiotics sometimes act on the principle of a "sweep group" - when they enter the body, they destroy all microflora - both pathogenic and positive, necessary for adequate functioning of the intestines and the immune system. Penicillin inhibits the growth and development of bacteria in bacteria, therefore, after the destruction of pathogens, the bacteria are positive, necessary, remain alive, but in a depressed state. Their balance is easy to restore with the help of fermented milk products or special pharmacy products. The action of penicillin, despite the fact that many call this antibiotic obsolete, is effective, but rather mild, so it is prescribed even for newborns. By the way, staphylococcus, which previously occupied maternity hospitals and hospitals and claimed the lives of babies, became less dangerous thanks to penicillin.
How penicillin inhibits bacterial activity
How does this remedy work? Let's try to describe its effect and what Alexander Fleming saw in his office a century ago.
Bacteria are microorganisms that are very resistant to various negative factors. Some species live quietly in volcanic lava or arctic ice. They are everywhere - in soil and water, food, animal hair, on fruits and vegetables. But there is no need to panic and hide in a sterile room - if your body is he althy and strong, the immune system is working at full strength, then you should not be afraid of germs. Many of them already live freely in our body and are activated only after a seriousstress or relieve it.
When the bacteria attacked, there is a salvation - an antibiotic. For example, penicillin (suppresses DNA synthesis in bacteria and interferes with reproduction). How does this happen? Once in the human body, the antibiotic is carried by the bloodstream throughout the body. The foci of infection are quickly detected by him. In the place of "deployment" of microbes, penicillin penetrates the membranes of microorganisms and stops their synthesis. Bacteria lose the ability to feed and develop, which, accordingly, leads to their death.
