All About Penicillin
Originally discovered by Ernest Duchesne,a French medical student, in 1896 penicillin was rediscovered more than 30 years later in England by Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming. It is one of the earliest discovered and most widely used antibiotic agents ever. However, at the time of its discovery and rediscovery no one seemed to fully understand its importance. In the 1940s Howard Florey and Ernst Chain isolated the active ingredient and developed a powdery form of the medicine. This is when it was first put to work and began to have a serious impact on the medical world.
Penicillin Put to Use
Penicillin is used to treat bacterial infections and cause the infection to be cured. It is currently the standard antibiotic treatment prescribed by doctors for bacterial infections in wounds, from sexually transmitted diseases, like gonorrhea, and diseases spread by animals and insects. We find penicillin very useful today but back in the war times it was extremely practical. Since many battles were fought in farming fields more soldiers died due to infected wounds than to the actual injury. Penicillin was able to save the lives of hundreds of soldiers and kept troops in shape to continue fighting!
The Pacemaker
Until the beginning of this year I never really knew what a pacemaker was and I'm happy to share a bit of information about it with you today! Until I actually learned about the pacemaker the first thing I ever thought about when I heard the word was the song "I'm A Hippie" by Spek. Part of the chorus goes "... I need a pacemaker that's built to last" I never understood that part, but now I do so let me share my insight! Born in 1919 was Canadian John Hopps, inventor of the cardiac pacemaker. Hopps earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manitoba in 1941 and joined the National Research Council in 1942. At age 30, in 1949, Hopps began working at the Banting Institute at the University of Toronto. That is where he made the unexpected discovery of the pacemaker. This discovery would later be improved in 1958 by a Swedish team, whereby the pacemaker could be put into the human body. In 1984 Hopps needed his own pacemaker to save his life. 13 years later he required a replacement.
Function of the Pacemaker
The pacemaker may be used after damage to the body's intrinsic conduction system to produce rhythmical impulses synthetically. It regulates the frequency of the heart beat, and it coordinates the contraction of the heart muscle, so that the heart beats efficiently. However, pacemakers do not take over the work of the heart they merely help to regulate the timing of the heart beat.
How It's Done
The pacemaker has two main parts, the generator and the leads. Most pacemakers have two leads, one connected from the generator to the right atrium and the other from the generator to the right ventricle. The pacemaker leads detect the heart’s own electrical activity and transmits that information to the pacemaker generator. The generator analyzes the heart’s electrical signals, and uses that information to decide whether, when, and where to pace. If the heart rate becomes too slow, the generator transmits a tiny electrical signal to the heart, thus stimulating the heart muscle to contract.
Conclusion
These two discoveries may not be on the top of everyones list when it comes to medical breakthroughs but they are important nonetheless. I wanted this to be an interesting blog, not the same thing you read before or that you're going to read after! I hope you enjoyed it and have a new appreciation for these two medical advances seeing as they benefit the lives of thousands each day. One day you may find yourself relying on either penicillin or a pacemaker, maybe you'll think of my grade 11 bio blog too. I hope we continue to see more medical breakthroughs throughout the rest of my life. I have no desire to pursue a career in the sciences but for all of you that do good luck, I expect big things!
Resources
http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/Penicillin.htm
http://www.ehow.com/facts_4914662_what-does-penicillin-treat.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081226085328AA6kCN6
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/arrhythmias/a/pacemakers.htm
3 comments:
OG :)
great blo girl!, I know you may get that alot, but I'm being honest!
Anywho! Two words, The Pacemaker! Holy Moly, after reading your blog, I understand how amazing that thing is! its like a miracle in a box. (lack of better words) I mean, I always had a somewhat, brief idea of what it was and how it was used, but after reading your blog, I am aware of not only how it is used, but that it can restore or revibe a heartbeat as well as what specific parts of the heart as well as its ability to analyze the heart's electrical signals and decide, based on these findings, when to send theheart a shock. It's like a mini brain for your heart. cool!
Finally,I like how you mentioned the fact that this ivention is not a popular choice on the best pece of technology list, for I too did not mention this in my blog, however, I agree that none the less, it is still extremly imporant as well as, very useful and helps save the lives of many. ( My grandmother had a pacemake put in her to help monitor her heart back in the winter. Today she is now back on her feet, feeling healthy and back to normal. The pacemaker pretty much saved her life, and my family was so thankful for it.) I just wonder what it must have been like without these peices of technology back in the day, it gets me thinking...
Great job again! ttyl :)
Hey Olivia,
Your bioblog is informative and well organized! After reading your blog, I've become well informed more of the medical advances. Although, I've already read about penicillin and how great of a discovery it is, you have refreshed my memory of its awesomeness.
The Pacemaker on the other hand, never knew it existed. It's quite amazing that some things like these can help save a life. It may not be natural, but it's more like a bonus or luck that you have been saved by a machine. A machine that is inside your body and help maintain your heartbeats. An amazing discovery!
Great blog.
It seems that we've written about the same invention of the pacemaker, but after reading your explanation, my understanding of the life-saving gadget has furthered. It's truly remarkable how we're able to have an electronic device implanted and connected to a vital organ so that it can improve our health.
Penicillin actually works by weakening the bacteria's cell's wall and eventually, breaking through to destroy it. I never fully understood the use of penicillin up until I read your blog.
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