Daniel Brandes
Fleming was a Scottish pharmacologist and biologist who lived from 1881 to Fleming is best known for his discovery of Penicillin, the “Wonder Drug.”
Having fought in WW1, Fleming witnessed many soldiers die from bacterial infections to combat wounds. As Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, Fleming devoted himself to do much research on the topic of antibacterial agents. He discovered that the antiseptics used to clean wounds in the army lowered immunological defenses as opposed to destroying bacteria.
On September 3, 1928, Fleming made a world changing discovery. His lab was often untidy, and he had stacked some petri dishes of Staphylococci (A harmful Bacteria) with some other dishes. He discovered that the staphylococci had been contaminated with a fungus, and that the bacteria did not grow near the fungus.
The fungus, Penicillium, destroyed all of the bacteria. After years of trials and purification of the fungus, Penicillin was created– an antibiotic. By the end of WWII, Penicillin was being mass produced by the USA and England. Penicillin affects all gram positive bacteria, such as those that cause scarlet fever and diphtheria. However, when the antibiotic is used for too little time or in a too small dose, the bacteria that survives can gain resistance to the drug, rendering it less efficient.
While we usually only consider the harmful bacteria, 99% of the billions of bacteria on earth do not cause disease. And many of them are extremely helpful. Human life would not have existed without bacteria.
Many bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus aid in digestion. In fact, we depend on bacteria to digest food properly. Lactobacillus acidophilus helps to digest lactose, and helps to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria. Many people buy samples of this bacterium to aid them in digestion. Lactobacillus acidophilus
Bacteria are excellent decayers. If bacteria didn’t exist, the world would be piled in dead and decaying matter. Some bacteria break down oil as a source of energy, and are used as a “cleanup crew” for oil spills.
Rhizobia are a helpful type of bacteria that form symbiotic relationships with legumes. They attach to the roots of the plant, and when they enter, they begin a process called Nitrogen Fixation. The bacteria absorb nitrogen from the soil, and convert it into ammonia that the plant uses. In return, the plant supplies the rhizobia with nutrients.
Microbe: Group A streptococcus bacteria Streptococcus bacteria can cause Strep Throat-- a painful, swollen throat with a fever when the bacteria is inhaled from water droplets in the air. They can be killed using antibiotics, and are very common. While Strep Throat is generally not dangerous, it can cause extreme discomfort.
Only 1% of bacteria cause disease. However, those harmful bacteria do cause serious problems.
Vibrio cholerae is a bacterium that causes cholera. Cholera is a disease that can kill in a day if untreated, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. The disease is caused when the bacteria is introduced after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera is easily treated by rehydrating the body.
Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Tetanus is caused by the toxins released by the bacteria which affect muscles. The disease can be fatal. The bacteria are usually introduced by puncture wounds, and tetanus is not contagious. A vaccine for tetanus is available.
Some bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics. This happens when antibiotics are administered for too little time or too small a dose in a sick patient. The surviving bacteria become immune to the antibiotic, and so are their offspring. In this way, some antibiotics are becoming less affective, and new antibiotics have become necessary.
Fleming sources: Helpful sources: bacteria-found-in-the-environment-around-us html bacteria-found-in-the-environment-around-us html Strep sources: Harmful sources: