An Accidental Discovery Sir Alexander Fleming and Penicillin

During his life, Alexander Fleming greatly changed the world’s view and knowledge of antibiotics and antiseptics. Alexander Fleming was born on August 6, 1881, and died on March 11, 1955 of an unexpected heart attack. From 1903 to 1906, Alexander Fleming attended Saint Mary’s Hospital Medical School. While in school, Fleming received qualifications as a surgeon, but his interests later changed towards bacteriology, after he returned from World War I. Fleming served as a medical officer in the Royal Army Medical Corp., in France during World War I. While he was in France, Fleming experienced the horrors of battlefield hospitals and all of the sickness, disease and death associated with them. Fleming noticed how the methods that were being†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, lysozyme acted most strongly on the wrong microbes† (Alexander Fleming – Nobel Prize Banquet). Fleming believed that he had discovered an important antibiotic, but he did not th ink it was as effective as he had hoped. Fleming learned that lysozyme worked by attacking the individual cell walls of bacteria, â€Å"The removal of the gram-positive bacterial cell wall by digestion with lysozyme† (Department of Biochemistry). Unfortunately for Fleming, lysozyme did not work on that many kinds of bacteria, therefore the bacteria was â€Å"resistant to lysozyme.† Lysozyme was the first antibiotic that was relatively effective and could potentially save people’s lives. In 1928, Fleming made another discovery, this time by accident. After returning from a vacation, Fleming discovered a mold growing in a culture of bacteria in one of his experiments. To his disbelief, the bacteria around the mold had been killed. He then isolated the mold and discovered that it was from the Penicillium Notatum strand of the Penicillin Fungi family. Fleming named the mold that he discovered Penicillin. Usually white blood cells would be able to attack and destroy bacteria cells, but if white blood cells could not; infection would begin to take hold. Penicillin attacks peptidoglycans, parts of the bacteria cell walls, which therefore allows the white blood cells to now break down the bacteria cells unlike before. Fleming realized the importanceShow MoreRelatedSir Alexander Fleming Is â€Å"the Penicillin Man†1541 Words   |  7 PagesSir Alexander Fleming is â€Å"The Penicillin Man† When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didnt plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the worlds first antibiotic, or bacteria killer, Fleming would later say, But I suppose that was exactly what I did. And we should thank him every time when we get sick and take the penicillin as single remedy for our disease. Because of his research and his discovery of penicillin, he has the greatest contributionRead MoreAlexander Fleming: The Discovery of Penicillin1884 Words   |  8 PagesSir Alexander Fleming changed the world of medicine not only in his days but also in the world today. We have the medicines and antibiotics that we have today because of Alexander Fleming. His discovery was much needed in the world and I hate to think where we would be in the medicine world if he hadn’t discovered penicillin. Alexander Fleming was born on August 6, 1881 in Darvel, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was born on Lochfield Farm, which was his family’s farm. Alex was the seventh of eight childrenRead MoreThe Carleton Prize For Biotechnology Nomination1691 Words   |  7 PagesThe Carleton Prize for Biotechnology Nomination Alexander Fleming, a name often connected to the evolution of medicine. 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Alexander Fleming was born in Ayshire in the lowlands of southwestern Scotland (Sir Alexander Fleming-Biography).Read MoreA Medical Revolution Essay1547 Words   |  7 Pages(Scott, n.p.; Linder, 336-348; Sarch, n.p.; â€Å"Medicine Ads of the 1920s†, n.p.). During the 1920s, Herbert McLean Evans discovered vitamin E, Elmer V. McCollum discovered vitamin D, and vitamins A, B, C, and K were also discovered (Scott, n.p). The discovery of vitamins was an important find; it was necessary for doctors to increase knowledge about the body’s basic needs in order to improve the overall health and condition of the body (Scott, n.p.). Additionally, the medical community set forth withRead MoreFive Accidental Inventions2145 Words   |  9 PagesRunning head: FIVE ACCIDENTAL INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 1 Science and Technology Five accidetal inventions that changed the world Raiymberdiev Sanzharbek University of International Business and Economics FIVE ACCIDENTAL INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 2 Accidents happen every day. These accidents do not always lead to tragedy. These accidents can help become some people really rich and famous. If youre wondering what I mean by this, let me explain. It happens that scientistsRead MoreEight Accidental Discoveries: Science Analysis Essay1778 Words   |  8 PagesIt is amazing how many scientific discoveries were accidental. The history of science is packed with accidental discoveries (Peters, 1999, para. 4). Science is the â€Å"knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation† (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2014). Accidental is defined as â€Å"happening in a way that is not planned or intended† (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2014). Discovery is â€Å"the act of finding or learning something for the first time†Read More Fungus Essay2113 Words   |  9 Pagesof organic matter and the release into the atmosphere of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosph orous. Many of them are eaten at the dinner table. One of the most beneficial uses of a fungus came with the virtually accidental discovery of the antibiotic penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928. Antibiotics, many of them derived from fungi, have helped revolutionize the practice of medicine in the 20th century. Not all fungi are beneficial. Some, as has been noted, can cause serious diseases in plants