Antibiotics

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/antibiotics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Antibiotics?Penicillin: 1928 (Fleming), mass production: early 1940s (Florey & Chain)
2. What is the related scientific fields?Microbiology, pharmacology, infectious disease epidemiology, molecular biology
3. What are antibiotics and how do they help us?Antibiotics are tiny helpers that fight bad germs, like superheroes for our bodies. They stop bacteria from making us sick.
4. How did scientists discover penicillin?In 1928, Alexander Fleming saw mold stopping bacteria in his lab. Later scientists turned that mold into medicine.

Horizontal Gene Transfer: The movement of genetic material between bacteria, facilitating rapid spread of resistance genes.
Antibiotic Stewardship: Coordinated efforts to optimize antibiotic use and improve patient outcomes while minimizing resistance.
Gram-Positive/Gram-Negative Bacteria: Two major classifications of bacteria based on cell wall structure, influencing antibiotic susceptibility.