Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of β-lactam antibiotics first derived from Penicillium molds. These drugs kill susceptible bacteria by disrupting the construction of their cell walls.

Peptidoglycan: Peptidoglycan is a mesh-like polymer that gives bacterial cell walls strength and shape. Penicillin prevents the cross-linking that makes this wall mesh mechanically strong.
Alexander Fleming: Alexander Fleming was a Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin’s antibacterial effect in 1928. His observation of mold inhibiting bacteria began the history of penicillin.
Penicillin G: Penicillin G is an injectable natural penicillin used against susceptible bacteria. It is a major natural penicillin and illustrates the limits of oral delivery.
Cephalosporins: Cephalosporins are β-lactam antibiotics with a related cell-wall-targeting mechanism and a distinct chemical structure. They share penicillin’s general target but differ in spectrum and susceptibility to β-lactamases.
Penicillin-binding proteins: Penicillin-binding proteins are bacterial enzymes that build and remodel peptidoglycan. Penicillin binds these enzymes and blocks their cell-wall-building activity.
Penicillium: Penicillium is a genus of molds found in soil, food, and other environments. Members of this genus produce the compounds from which penicillin was first obtained.
Penicillin V: Penicillin V is an orally active natural penicillin used for susceptible bacterial infections. Its acid stability allows a natural penicillin to be taken by mouth.
Carbapenems: Carbapenems are broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics often reserved for serious or resistant infections. They retain activity against many bacteria that resist penicillins, though not all.
β-lactam ring: A β-lactam ring is a four-membered cyclic amide found in several antibiotic families. This ring lets penicillin mimic a cell-wall building block and bind its target enzymes.
Howard Florey: Howard Florey was an Australian pathologist who led the Oxford team that developed penicillin for medical use. His team turned Fleming’s discovery into a treatment that could be tested in patients.

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