Dictionary > Penicillin

Penicillin

penicillin
(Science: drug) probably the best known of the antibiotics, derived from the mould penicillium notatum. It blocks the cross linking reaction in peptidoglycan synthesis and therefore destroys the bacterial cell wall making the bacterium very susceptible to damage.
Any of various antibiotics obtained from penicillium molds (or produced synthetically) and used in the treatment of various infections and diseases.An antibiotic discovered by the Scottish chemist Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928, which is produced by the mould penicillium that proves toxic to a number of pathogens and therefore is of excellent medicinal value.

Last updated on March 1st, 2021

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