{"id":3834,"date":"2018-06-30T11:05:42","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T11:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=3834"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:54:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:54:27","slug":"penicillin-do-medical-advances-happen-more-by-accident-or-design","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/medicine-through-time\/medicine-through-time-teachers-resources\/penicillin-do-medical-advances-happen-more-by-accident-or-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Penicillin: Do medical advances happen more by accident or design?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penicillin: Do scientific discoveries happen more by accident or design?<\/h2>\n

Learning Outcomes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

* To identify the importance of the discovery of penicillin.
\n* To identify and evaluate the reasons for the discovery and manufacture
\nof penicillin as a drug widely available by the late 1940s.<\/p>\n

Video Starter: Fleming and the discovery of Penicillin<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/object><\/td>\nTitle: Fleming and the discovery of penicillin<\/p>\n

Duration: 01:39<\/p>\n

Description: This short clip begins with an interview with Sir
\nAlexander Fleming. He recreates how he discovered that the staphylococcus
\nbacterium could not grow near the penicillium fungus which had contaminated
\nhis petri dish. With thanks to Akzo Nobel.<\/p>\n

From
\nBBC Class Clips<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/td>\nLaunch
\nin external player<\/a>
\n<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read about Fleming’s work on these recommended websites:<\/p>\n

The British Library: a noble life in Science.<\/a><\/p>\n

BBC Historic figures<\/a><\/p>\n

History Learning Site<\/a> – Fleming and Penicillin<\/p>\n

Now check your understanding of the development of penicillin b attempting
\nthis\u00a0exercise on educationforum.co.uk.<\/a><\/p>\n

Activity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using the information from the links above and the chart below create
\nan interative poster
\n(a glog)<\/a> illustrating how different factors combined to lead to the
\ndiscovery and development of penicilin.<\/p>\n

The discovery of penicillin<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Date<\/td>\nPerson<\/td>\nWhat the advance was<\/td>\nWhy it was important\/ what the effect
\nwas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1928<\/td>\nFleming<\/td>\nHe discovered a mould that he called penicillin.
\nIt killed other bacteria.<\/td>\n		It was anti-biotic. He could not grow this mould
\nin large quantities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Late 1930s<\/td>\nFlorey and Chain<\/td>\nThey made pure penicillin by freeze drying it.<\/td>\nThis penicillin was given to mice that had been infected
\nwith harmful bacteria. The mice survived. The uses of penicillin were
\nclear.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1941<\/td>\nFlorey and Chain<\/td>\nThey performed the first human experiment using penicillin.
\nIt was given to a patient suffering from a terrible infection.<\/td>\n		The experiment was a success as the infection was
\nreduced but there was not enough of it to kill the infection completely.
\nThe patient died.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1942<\/td>\nUS drug companies<\/td>\nThese companies mass-produced penicillin.<\/td>\nNow infections and infectious diseases could be treated.
\nThe fight against disease was won.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Late 1940s<\/td>\nWalksman<\/td>\nHe found that antibiotics were in soils.<\/td>\nTB could be fought effectively. But soon it would
\nbecome resistant to this anti-biotic.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Note: this table has been taken from a worksheet that\u00a0a colleague passed to me. Unfortunately I do not know who originally
\ncreated this resource and am unable to cite the author. If you recognise\u00a0it, please let me know so that the appropriate acknowledgements can\u00a0be made.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Worksheet: The Fight against Infectious Disease<\/a><\/p>\n

Schoolshistory home<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0History teachers resources<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Medical History Timelines<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Alexander Fleming<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Florey and Chain develop Penicillin<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Gerhard Domagk and Prontosil<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Edward Jenner and the Smallpox Vaccine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Louis Pasteur and Germ Theory<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Robert Koch<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The development of Vaccinations<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Was Penicillin an accident?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Paul Ehrlich and the Magic Bullet<\/a><\/p>\n

Medicine Through time<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Resources for Medicine Through Time<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Prehistoric Medicine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ancient Egyptian Medicine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ancient Greek Medicine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Medicine in the Roman Empire<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Medieval Medicine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Renaissance Medicine<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Public Health in the Industrial Revolution<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fight against infectious disease<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Modern Medicine<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Penicillin: Do scientific discoveries happen more by accident or design? Learning Outcomes: * To identify the importance of the discovery of penicillin. * To identify and evaluate the reasons for the discovery and manufacture of penicillin as a drug widely available by the late 1940s. Video Starter: Fleming and the discovery of Penicillin   Title:… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3808,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3834","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t