Microbes in medicine Back to botany topic list Microbes like bacteria and fungi produce antibiotics. The substance produced by a living organism, which inhibits the growth and metabolic activities of pathogenic organisms (mostly bacteria) without affecting the metabolism of host is called an antibiotic. Penicillin, streptomycin, aureomycin and chloromycetin are some of the examples for antibiotics. Penicillin is a well known antibiotic obtained from the blue green mold called Penicillium notatum. When it is grown in culture medium, the mycelium excretes an antibiotic substance called penicillin. The crude penicillin is recovered, purified and dehydrated. It is effective against gram-positive bacteria like Pneumonia bacteria. Streptomycin is obtained from the filamentous bacterium, Streptomyces griseus, an actinomycetes. It cures urinary infections, tuberculosis, meningitis and pneumonia. Aureomycin mis obtained from actinomycetes, Streptomyces aureofaciens. It is used as a medicine in ...
Comments
Post a Comment