What was the first antibiotic?

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Prepare for the Drug Action 2 Exam. Focus on multiple-choice questions, learn through interactive quizzes, and understand core drug mechanisms with explanations. Dive deep into pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to ace your test!

Multiple Choice

What was the first antibiotic?

Explanation:
Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be identified and used clinically, launching the antibiotic era. Alexander Fleming noticed that mold growing on a Staphylococcus plate inhibited nearby bacteria, and the mold produced a substance—penicillin—that could kill or stop bacterial growth. This discovery in 1928, followed by later purification and large‑scale production in the 1940s, made penicillin the first true antibiotic available for medical treatment. The other drugs listed were discovered later (streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline), so they could not be the first. Penicillin’s action is as a beta‑lactam that disrupts bacterial cell wall synthesis, underpinning its enduring role as a foundational antibiotic.

Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be identified and used clinically, launching the antibiotic era. Alexander Fleming noticed that mold growing on a Staphylococcus plate inhibited nearby bacteria, and the mold produced a substance—penicillin—that could kill or stop bacterial growth. This discovery in 1928, followed by later purification and large‑scale production in the 1940s, made penicillin the first true antibiotic available for medical treatment. The other drugs listed were discovered later (streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline), so they could not be the first. Penicillin’s action is as a beta‑lactam that disrupts bacterial cell wall synthesis, underpinning its enduring role as a foundational antibiotic.

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