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Question

Which was the first antibiotic to be discovered?

A
Cephalosporin
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B
Bacitracin
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C
Penicillin
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D
Gentamicin
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Solution

The correct option is C Penicillin
Antibiotics are chemical agents obtained from organisms such as fungi and bacteria, that work against other microbes by retarding their growth or killing them.

Penicillin was discovered by Sir Alexander Flemming and it was the first antibiotic to be discovered. It was a chance discovery. While working on Staphylococci bacteria, he observed mould growing in one of his unwashed culture plates, around which Staphylococci could not grow. He found that this was due to chemical produced by the mould. He named this chemical Penicillin after the mould Penicillium notatum.

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