Fleming (centre) receiving the Nobel Prize from King Gustaf Vof Sweden (right), 1945

Alexander Fleming was born in 1881. He did research work at one of the hospitals in London and became interested in bacterial action and antibacterial drugs.

One day Fleming's assistant brought him a plate on which a colony of dangerous bacteria were being grown. "This plate cannot be used for the experiment," said the assistant. "Some mould [mould] (плесень) has formed on it and I'll have to take another plate." Fleming was ready to allow his assistant to do so. Then he looked at the plate and saw that the bacteria around the mould had disappeared. Fleming understood the importance of what had happened and immediately began to study the phenomenon.

He placed some mould on other plates and grew more colonies. By means of numerous experiments on animals he determined that this new substance was not toxic to the tissues and stopped the growth of the most common patho­genic bacteria.

Fleming called this substance penicillin. * It is of the same той (цей) самий family of moulds that often appear on dry bread.

But many investigations had been carried out before a method of extracting pure penicillin was found. It was also very difficult for Fleming to interest biologists and mould experts in penicillin and to decide the problem of its production.

In 1942 Fleming tried his own first experiment. A friend of his was very ill, dying. After several injections of penicillin the man was cured. It marked the beginning of penicillin treatment.

Fleming received the Nobel Prize for his great discovery. But he said: "Everywhere I go people thank me for saving their lives. I do not know why they do it. I didn't do anything. Nature makes penicillin. I only found it."

*It is …that – саме…

Penicillin was discovered by chance, after Fleming accidentally left a dish of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered for a few days. He returned to find the dish dotted усівати with bacterial growth, apart from one area where a patch пляма неправильної форми of mould (Penicillin notatum) was growing. The mould produced a substance, named penicillin by Fleming, which inhibited bacterial growth and was later found to be effective against a wide range of harmful bacteria. However, *it was not until World War II that penicillin, the first antibiotic, was finally isolated by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. Fleming, Florey and Chain received a Nobel Prize in 1945, for their discovery which revolutionized революціонізувати medicine and led to the development of lifesaving antibiotics. *it was not until … that – тільки …

EXERCISE 8. Answer the questions:

1. When was Alexander Fleming born?

2. Where did Alexander Fleming do his research work?

3. What did Sir Alexander Fleming become interested in?

4. How was Penicillin discovered?

5. Why did Fleming begin to study the phenomenon of penicillin immediately?

6. How did Alexander Fleming call the substance?

7. When and how did Fleming try his own first experiment with penicillin?

8. How did Sir Alexander Fleming explain his great discovery?

9. What Prize did Fleming receive for his great discovery?

10. When did Fleming, Florey and Chain receive a Nobel Prize?

EXERCISE 9. Approve or contradict the following statements:

1. Penicillin was discovered by chance.

2. Sir Alexander Fleming based his medical practice on observations and on the study of the human body.

3. Penicillin inhibits bacterial growth and is effective against a wide range of harmful bacteria.

4. However, it was not until World War I that penicillin, the first antibiotic, was finally isolated by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain.

5. Fleming, Florey and Chain received a Nobel Prize in 1954 for their discovery.

EXERCISE 10. Put questions to the underlined words:

1. Fleming's accidental discovery and isolation of penicillin in September 1928 marks the start of modern antibiotics. (What)

2. Fleming also discovered very early that bacteria developed antibiotic resistance whenever кожного разу, коли too little penicillin was used or when it was used for too short a period. (When)

3. Almroth Wright had predicted antibiotic resistance even before it was noticed during experiments. (When)

4. Fleming cautioned about the use of penicillin in his many speeches around the world. (What)

5. Fleming cautioned not to use penicillin unless there was a properly diagnosed reason for it to be used, and that if it were used, never to use too little, or for too short a period, since these are the circumstances under which bacterial resistance to antibiotics develops.(Who)

EXERCISE 11. Translate the Modal verbs or their equivalents given in brackets into English and then translate the sentences:

1. To fight against any infectious disease successfully a doctor (повинен) know its origin.

2. The redness on the lateral surface of the arm (може) disappear after the treat­ment.

3. To determine the origin of the tobacco mosaic disease Ivanovsky (повинен був) carry out many experiments on the plants.

4. The doctor (слід) know all the properties of a drug before he gives it to the patient.

5. At the next conference one of the researchers of this labor­atory (слід буде) report on his discovery in detail.

6. The medical students (дозволять) operate on the patients only in the fifth year. 7. It is only in the presence of oxygen that aerobic microorganisms (можуть) mul­tiply rapidly.

EXERCISE 12. Describe the process of discovering the penicillin by Alexander Fleming in detail using Indirect speech.

TEST.

1. Alexander Fleming was born … .

a. 1800 b. 1801 c. on 1888 d. 1881 e. in 1881

2. He did research work at one of the hospitals in … .

a. Brazil b. London c. Egypt d. Weinberger e. Berlin

3. Became interested … bacterial action and antibacterial drugs.

a. on b. from c. out d. in e. through

4. One day Fleming's assistant brought him a plate on which a colony of dangerous bacteria… .

a. to grow b. to be grown c. grown d. being grown e. were being grown

5. Fleming understood the importance of what had happened and … began to study the phenomenon.

a. immediately b. suddenly c. practically d. usually e. slowly

6. But many investigations … before a method of extracting pure penicillin was found.

a. had been carried out b. have been carried out c. had carried out

d. has been carried out e. are being carried out

7. The mould produced a substance, named penicillin by…, which inhibited bacterial growth.

a. Ivanovskiy b. Koch c. Pirogov d. Fleming e. Sechenov

8. …of numerous experiments on animals he determined that this new substance was not toxic to the tissues.

a. By law b. By chance c. By means d. By radio e. By now