21.2.3

Penicillin

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Penicillin

The fungus Penicillium notatum was the first source used in the production of the antibiotic penicillin. Commercial penicillin production now uses a different strain, which produces more penicillin more quickly. The process has two steps:

Illustrative background for FermentationIllustrative background for Fermentation ?? "content

Fermentation

  • Large vessels (fermenters) are ‘seeded’ with Penicillium and then allowed to ferment with sugars for anywhere between 120 and 200 hours.
Illustrative background for ExtractionIllustrative background for Extraction ?? "content

Extraction

  • Penicillin is extracted from the medium both during and at the end of fermentation.

Jump to other topics

1Classification of Living Organisms

2Organisation of the Organism

3Movement Into & Out of Cells

4Biological Molecules

5Enzymes

6Plant Nutrition

7Human Nutrition

8Transport in Plants

9Transport in Animals

10Diseases & Immunity

11Gas Exchange in Humans

12Respiration

13Excretion in Humans

14Coordination & Response

15Drugs

16Reproduction

17Inheritance

18Variation & Selection

19Organisms & Their Environment

20Human Influence on Ecosystems

21Biotechnology & Genetic Modification

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