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Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
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 over a decade, 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.
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.
History glossary
- 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.
Earn the mark scheme marks
📝 Exam Technique: Factors Working Together
Penicillin is a perfect example for "factor analysis" essays:
🏫 Edexcel Medicine in Britain, c1250 to present (Paper 1, Option 11): This topic is tested in Paper 1 Section B (the thematic study), alongside the Western Front historic environment in Section A. Edexcel question types differ from AQA:
- Section B, Question 3 (similarity or difference): Compare how two things were alike or different over time, using specific evidence from both. Questions normally span at least a century. Describing features is tested in Section A, the Western Front historic environment, not in the thematic study.
- "Explain why..." (12 marks): Explain two or three reasons with specific evidence. Level 3 (7 to 9 marks) requires explained reasons; Level 4 (10 to 12 marks) requires explanation showing how factors connect or reinforce each other.
- "How far do you agree that..." (16 marks + 4 SPaG): Extended writing. Two sides: evidence FOR the statement, evidence AGAINST. Reach a supported judgement. Level 4 (13 to 16 marks) requires a consistently argued judgement. SPaG marks reward accurate spelling of key historical terms.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 8
In which year did Alexander Fleming discover penicillin?
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