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Bacteriologist 1. Daniel Brandes. Alexander Fleming. Fleming was a Scottish pharmacologist and biologist who lived from 1881 to 1955. Fleming is best known for his discovery of Penicillin, the “Wonder Drug.”. Prior to his discovery of Penicillin.
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Bacteriologist 1 Daniel Brandes
Alexander Fleming • Fleming was a Scottish pharmacologist and biologist who lived from 1881 to 1955. • Fleming is best known for his discovery of Penicillin, the “Wonder Drug.”
Prior to his discovery of Penicillin • 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.
Discovery of Penicillin • 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.
Discovery of penicillin • 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.
Helpful Bacteria • 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.
Helpful 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
Helpful Bacteria • 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.
Helpful Bacteria • 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 • 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.
Harmful Bacteria • Only 1% of bacteria cause disease. • However, those harmful bacteria do cause serious problems.
Harmful Bacteria • Vibriocholeraeis 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.
Harmful Bacteria • 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.
Harmful bacteria • 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.
Resources Fleming sources: • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming • http://www.nndb.com/people/696/000091423/ Helpful sources: • http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/these-are-some-of-the-helpful-bacteria-found-in-the-environment-around-us-356913.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus_acidophilus • http://www.buzzle.com/articles/helpful-and-harmful-types-of-bacteria.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizobia Strep sources: • http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strep-throat/DS00260 • http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/strep_throat.html Harmful sources: • http://www.buzzle.com/articles/helpful-and-harmful-types-of-bacteria.html • http://www.emedicinehealth.com/tetanus/article_em.htm • http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/cholera_gi.html