The Accidental Invention of Penicillin

Lexile: 1060 | Grade: 9

Passage

In 1928, a scientist named Alexander Fleming returned to his laboratory after a vacation and noticed something unusual. He had left several petri dishes containing bacteria on a bench, and one of them had developed a patch of mold. Around that mold, the bacteria had stopped growing. Fleming realized he had stumbled upon something remarkable: a mold that killed bacteria. That mold would later be known as penicillin—the world’s first true antibiotic.

At the time, bacterial infections like pneumonia or infected wounds could be fatal. There were no reliable treatments. Doctors could do little more than hope the patient recovered on their own. Fleming’s discovery marked the beginning of a revolution in medicine. However, it took more than a decade for other scientists to figure out how to grow penicillin in large enough quantities to use in hospitals. By World War II, penicillin was saving thousands of lives on the battlefield and beyond.

What makes the story of penicillin so extraordinary is not just its scientific value, but the fact that it was found by accident. Fleming wasn’t trying to find a cure for infection—he simply observed something unexpected and decided to investigate it. This kind of discovery highlights the importance of curiosity and paying attention to the unexpected, even when it seems small.

Today, penicillin and other antibiotics are common, but antibiotic resistance is a growing concern. Bacteria are evolving ways to survive these once-powerful drugs, making some infections harder to treat. Scientists continue to search for new solutions, but Fleming’s discovery remains a powerful example of how observation, chance, and curiosity can change the world.

Questions

Q1: What is the central idea of the passage?

  • A. Antibiotics are becoming less effective due to overuse.
  • B. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident, leading to a major breakthrough in medicine.
  • C. Bacteria are simple organisms that can be killed with mold.
  • D. Fleming intended to find a cure for infections and succeeded after years of testing.

Q2: Why is Fleming’s discovery described as 'extraordinary'?

  • A. He invented a cure for all known diseases.
  • B. He discovered antibiotics without any scientific training.
  • C. He made a world-changing discovery by simply noticing something unexpected.
  • D. He was the only scientist working on bacteria at the time.

Q3: What does the passage suggest about the role of curiosity in science?

  • A. Curiosity often leads scientists away from their main goals.
  • B. Most scientific breakthroughs are based entirely on luck.
  • C. Curiosity allows scientists to turn unexpected events into discoveries.
  • D. Curiosity should only be encouraged in beginner scientists.

Q4: What is the significance of penicillin during World War II, as mentioned in the passage?

  • A. It was used only for testing purposes.
  • B. It became a weapon against enemy soldiers.
  • C. It saved many lives by treating infections on the battlefield.
  • D. It was used to help scientists create new chemical weapons.

Q5: What broader message does the author suggest in the final paragraph?

  • A. Antibiotics are no longer useful and should be avoided.
  • B. New scientific discoveries are impossible without luck.
  • C. Future problems may require the same mindset that led to penicillin’s discovery.
  • D. All diseases will be cured if we study mold.

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Answers & Reasoning

Q1: What is the central idea of the passage?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: The passage centers on Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin and its impact on medical history.

Q2: Why is Fleming’s discovery described as 'extraordinary'?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage emphasizes that Fleming wasn’t looking for antibiotics—he paid attention to an accident and investigated it.

Q3: What does the passage suggest about the role of curiosity in science?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The author explains that curiosity is what made Fleming investigate something most might have ignored.

Q4: What is the significance of penicillin during World War II, as mentioned in the passage?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage states that by WWII, penicillin was being used in hospitals to treat infections and save lives.

Q5: What broader message does the author suggest in the final paragraph?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The author implies that curiosity, observation, and innovation will be necessary to solve future challenges, just as they were for past breakthroughs.