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WILLIAM AND MADISON'S SCIENCE PROJECT |
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How Penicillin Works
Penicillin kills bacteria by interfering with the
ability to synthesize cell wall. In the movie
sequence, Escherichia coli were incubated in
penicillin for 30 minutes. The bacteria
lengthen, but cannot divide. Eventually the
weak cell wall ruptures.
Improper antibiotic use selects for
populations of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Some bacteria avoid the effect of penicillin by
the production of penicillinase, an enzyme