In 1928, Alexander Fleming returned from holiday to find mould growing on a petri dish he'd forgotten to clean. Instead of throwing it away, he noticed something remarkable: bacteria around the mould had died. He called the mould's active substance "penicillin" but couldn't purify enough to use. For 10 years, nothing happened. Then war came. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain in Oxford realised penicillin could save soldiers' lives — and with American industrial help, mass-produced the world's first antibiotic. The story shows how individuals, chance, war, and government all combined to create medical revolution.
This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Penicillin for GCSE History. Revise Penicillin in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Penicillin
In which year did Alexander Fleming discover penicillin?
Which two scientists purified penicillin and made it usable as a medicine?
Quick recall flashcards
What is an antibiotic?
A substance produced by a living organism (like the Penicillium mould) that kills bacteria. Penicillin was the first antibiotic — unlike magic bullets, it was natural, not synthetic.
Who developed penicillin for use?
Howard Florey and Ernst Chain (Oxford, 1939-41)