penicillin

the ANTIBIOTIC , derived from the mould Penicillium notatum, that grows naturally on decaying fruit, bread or cheese. The genus used for production of the drug is P. chrysogenum. Penicillin is active against a large range of BACTERIA and it is nontoxic. It is usually given by INJECTION but can be taken orally. There are many semisynthetic penicillins acting in different ways, including AMPICILLIN and propicillin. Some patients are allergic to penicillin but there tend to be very few serious SIDE EFFECTS .