conclusion
We have discussed the history of penicillin, its mechanism, effect, biology, and toxicity. It is imperative to say that its discovery transformed the face of medicine by creating an effective and attainable treatment against bacterial infection. It is important to say, however, that since the introduction of penicillin there have been numerous penicillin-resistant bacterial outbreaks, in particular of Staphylococcus aureus in the 1950s and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the 1980s. To battle such strains, a number of semi-synthetic penicillin derivatives have been created like Ampicillin, Oxacilli and Methicillin just to name a few. With the emergence of new drugs, there is evolutionary pressure on the bacteria to become resistant and this is where new and future research comes into place. It is important to continue developing new approaches to deal with bacterial infections since it is not viable to prevent these organisms from evolving; new drugs can be created, new techniques can be developed or perhaps a slow retraction of antibiotic administration can be used to alleviate the evolutionary pressure exerted on the microorganisms. Regardless of the future direction of antibiotic development, penicillin gave scientists the basic tools to create treatments for bacterial infections.
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Bud, Robert. Penicillin Triumph and Tragedy. New York: Oxford, 2007. Print
Loman, Brown, Zygmunt Wlater, and Stavely Homer. "Some Active Derivatives of Penicillin." Applied and Enviromental Microbiology 17.3 (1969): 339-43.
Bud, Robert. Penicillin Triumph and Tragedy. New York: Oxford, 2007. Print
Loman, Brown, Zygmunt Wlater, and Stavely Homer. "Some Active Derivatives of Penicillin." Applied and Enviromental Microbiology 17.3 (1969): 339-43.