Penicillin is a drug used to fight bacterial infection. After its accidental discovery, it was hailed as a "miracle drug." 

Penicillin (PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics which include penicillin G (intravenous use), penicillin V (use by mouth), procaine penicillin, and benzathine penicillin (intramuscular use). Penicillin antibiotics were among the first medications to be effective against many bacterial infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci. Penicillins are still widely used today, although many types of bacteria have developed resistance following extensive use.

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Many of us are alive today because penicillin saved our lives, or the life of one of your parents or grandparents. Penicillin's ability to cure people of many once-fatal bacterial infections has saved so many lives that it is easy to understand why it was once called a "miracle drug".

#OnThisDay in 1929, #bacteriologist Alexander #Fleming discovered #penicillin, which can be used to cure #bacterial infections. #medicine pic.twitter.com/IbmplJvnpa

— Britannica Digital (@BritannicaLearn) February 14, 2017

Alexander Fleming, a professor of bacteriology in London, is credited with discovering penicillin in 1928. Returning from a vacation, he started cleaning up his messy lab and noticed that some petri dishes containing Staphylococcus bacteria had been contaminated with a mold,

#Penicillin and #Streptomycin Market is driven by high incidences of anti-microbial resistance https://t.co/VxL6SH1rL1 #marketresearch pic.twitter.com/qeksbIyO39 — IndustryARC (@IndustryARC) February 24, 2017

Penicillium notatum was inhibiting the growth of the bacteria, according to Dr. Howard Markel in a column for PBS NewHour. Fleming researched the juice produced by the mold and determined that it killed many types of bacteria. His team then went on to isolate pure penicillin from the mold juice.

Today, there are many natural and synthetic types of penicillin, which are used to treat a wide range of ailments. However, over the years, some bacteria have become resistant to penicillin, making some infections difficult to treat.