Who discovered penicillin in 1928?

Study for the PMLS History of Medical Technology Test. Explore flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question is accompanied by hints and explanations. Get prepared for your exam!

The main idea is recognizing the moment an antibiotic entered medicine: penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 after a mold contaminated a petri dish of Staphylococcus. Fleming noticed that the mold inhibited bacterial growth around it and traced this effect to a substance the mold released, which he named penicillin. This observation showed that a natural product could stop bacteria, marking the start of the antibiotic era and transforming the treatment of infections. The discovery wasn’t merely about a mold; it demonstrated how careful observation can reveal powerful biological tools that become life-saving medicines, later developed for mass use by Florey and Chain. The other scientists listed made crucial contributions to microbiology and medicine, but they did not discover penicillin: Pasteur advanced germ theory and vaccination concepts, Curie explored radioactivity, and Lister pioneered antiseptic surgery.