From Miracle Cure to Modern Crisis
Part of Antibiotics and Drug Resistance — GCSE Biology
This introduction covers From Miracle Cure to Modern Crisis within Antibiotics and Drug Resistance for GCSE Biology. Antibiotic function, bacterial resistance evolution, responsible use, global health impact It is section 1 of 18 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 1 of 18
Practice
20 questions
Recall
24 flashcards
From Miracle Cure to Modern Crisis
In 1928, Alexander Fleming returned to his laboratory to find something extraordinary: a patch of mould had grown on a petri dish of bacteria — and the bacteria around it had died. This chance discovery led to penicillin, the first antibiotic, which went on to save millions of lives from infections that had previously been fatal. It felt like medicine had won.
But the victory was not permanent. Since antibiotics came into widespread use in the 1940s, bacteria have been fighting back through the relentless engine of natural selection. Today, MRSA infections are difficult to treat in hospitals, some strains of tuberculosis resist multiple drugs, and the World Health Organisation warns that antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to global health. The story of antibiotics is both one of medicine's greatest triumphs and one of its most pressing ongoing challenges.