Which one of the following antibiotics was extensively used to treat American soldiers wounded in World War II?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Penicillin
Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered. Alexander Fleming found it while working on Staphylococci bacteria: the mould Penicillium notatum stopped their growth. Ernest Chain and Howard Florey later showed its full value as an antibiotic. It was used extensively to treat American soldiers wounded in World War II. Fleming, Chain and Florey won the Nobel Prize in 1945.
(1) Streptomycin — Incorrect. It is another antibiotic, found later. It is not the one linked with the soldiers of World War II.
(2) Azithromycin — Incorrect. This is a much later antibiotic.
(3) Penicillin — Correct. It saved the lives of many wounded soldiers.
(4) Tetracycline — Incorrect. It is another antibiotic that came after penicillin.
NCERT Extract:
Antibiotics – …
