Alexander Fleming

Inventor of Penicillin

Kanishka sachdeva

Childhood
Born on Lochfield
Farm, Darvel,
Ayrshire on August
6, 1881.
Was a farmer's son.
Moved to London at
age 13, to stay with
his older brother.
Fleming working in
his Laboratory.

School

Attended Louden Moor School, Darvel

School, and Kilmarnock Academy.
In London, he attended Polytechnic.

St. Mary's
Met Sir Almroth
Wright, a professor
at St. Marys.
Joined his
laboratory staff.
Spent the rest of his
life there, as a
bacteriologist.
Site of Fleming's laboratory.

Penicillin
Discovered in
1928.
Was working in his
lab, trying to kill a
deadly bacteria,
when he noticed a
blue mold growing
on the dish.

The mold Penicillum

Notatum.

Not an ordinary mold

Learned that it was

the mold Penicillum
Notatum.
Penicillin is found in
this mold.
Noticed that the
bacteria around the
mold was
dissolving.

The mold Penicillum

Notatum.

How it is was Developed

For 9 years, nobody could
purify the Penicillum
Notatum to get the pure
penicillin.
Finally, in 1938, a team of
Oxford University Scientists,
headed by Howard Florey
and Ernst B. Chain helped
to develop penicillin.

Penicillin being
developed.

Mass Production
Methods for its mass
production, purification,
and stabilization were
developed in the U.S.,
in cooperation with the
Department of
Agriculture. The US
government paid for its
mass production.
If not for this,
thousands of people
would die.

A machine used to
produce Penicillin.

How Penicillin is used

In early days of
Penicillin
therapy, the
drug was
administered in
small doses
every three
hours.

Penicillin in a pill form.

What it cures
Penicillin has
been known to
cure many
diseases such as
Pneumonia,
Scarlet Fever,
Syphilis, Tetanus,
and Gangrene.

Pneumonia.

How it works
Penicillin works
by killing
bacteria. To do
this, it interferes
with the
bacterias ability
to synthesize
the cell wall.

Penicillum viewed through a

microscope.

Forms of Penicillin
There are many
different forms of
Penicillin, which all
come from the molds
of genus named
Penicillum. Penicillin
G, Penicillin V,
Ampicillin, and
Amoxicillin are the
most commonly used
forms of Penicillin.

Penicillin G.

World War II
Penicillin was
introduced to the
world just in time
for World War II.
It helped save
many lives during
the war, and has
been greatly
appreciated
An add for Penicillin, during WWII.
since.

Awards and Recognitions

Collected 25 Honorary Degrees
26 Medals
18 Prized
13 Decorations
Was Knighted in 1944.

Memberships in 87
Scientific Academies
and Societies
The Nobel Prize with
Howard Florey and
Ernst B. Chain for
Physiology or Medicine
in 1945.

Bibliography
http://scotlandvacations.com/fleming.htm
The New Book of Knowledge. 2000. Grolier Incorporated.
Danbury, Connecticut.
The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999. World Book
Incorporated. Chicago, Illinois.
Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia Deluxe.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566021/fleming_sir_
alexander.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761560164/Penicillin.ht
ml
http://www.cellsalive.com/pen.htm
http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/1945/fleming-bio.html