The accident that changed the world - Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu
-
0:07 - 0:13London, 1928: a group of mold spores
surf a breeze through a lab. -
0:13 - 0:16They drift onto a petri dish,
and when they land, -
0:16 - 0:19they germinate a medical revolution.
-
0:19 - 0:22This lab belongs to Alexander Fleming,
a Scottish scientist -
0:22 - 0:26investigating the properties
of infectious bacteria. -
0:26 - 0:29At this time,
Fleming is away on vacation. -
0:29 - 0:33When he returns, he finds
a colony of mold growing on a petri dish -
0:33 - 0:35he’d forgotten to place in his incubator.
-
0:35 - 0:38And around this colony of mold
is a zone -
0:38 - 0:42completely and unexpectedly
clear of bacteria. -
0:42 - 0:44In studying this mysterious phenomenon,
-
0:44 - 0:49Fleming came to realize that the mold
was secreting some kind of compound -
0:49 - 0:51that was killing the bacteria.
-
0:51 - 0:55The mold was a species
in the Penicillium genus, -
0:55 - 0:59so Fleming dubbed
the antibacterial compound “penicillin.” -
0:59 - 1:03What Fleming stumbled upon
was a microbial defense system. -
1:03 - 1:07The penicillium mold
constantly produces penicillin -
1:07 - 1:10in order to defend itself from threats,
-
1:10 - 1:14such as nearby bacterial colonies
that might consume its resources. -
1:14 - 1:17Penicillin destroys
many types of bacteria -
1:17 - 1:20by disrupting synthesis
of their cell walls. -
1:20 - 1:24These walls get their strength
from a thick, protective mesh of sugars -
1:24 - 1:25and amino acids,
-
1:25 - 1:28that are constantly being
broken down and rebuilt. -
1:28 - 1:33Penicillin binds to one of the compounds
that weaves this mesh together -
1:33 - 1:38and prevents the wall from being
reconstructed at a critical phase. -
1:38 - 1:43Meanwhile, penicillin stimulates
the release of highly reactive molecules -
1:43 - 1:45that cause additional damage.
-
1:45 - 1:48Eventually, the cell’s structure
breaks down completely. -
1:48 - 1:52This two-pronged attack
is lethal to a wide range of bacteria, -
1:52 - 1:56whether in petri-dishes,
our bodies, or elsewhere. -
1:56 - 1:59It’s not, however,
harmful to our own cells, -
1:59 - 2:02because those don’t have cell walls.
-
2:02 - 2:05For a decade or so
after Fleming’s discovery, -
2:05 - 2:08penicillin remained
a laboratory curiosity. -
2:08 - 2:10But during World War II,
-
2:10 - 2:13researchers figured out how to isolate
the active compound -
2:13 - 2:17and grow the mold in larger quantities.
-
2:17 - 2:20They then went on to win
the Nobel Prize for their work. -
2:20 - 2:25Teams at Oxford and several American
drug companies continued development, -
2:25 - 2:28and within a few years
it was commercially available. -
2:28 - 2:33Penicillin and similar compounds quickly
transformed the treatment of infections. -
2:33 - 2:35For the time being,
-
2:35 - 2:41they remain some of the most important,
life-saving antibiotics used in medicine. -
2:41 - 2:47However, the more we use any antibiotic,
the more bacteria evolve resistance to it. -
2:47 - 2:49In the case of penicillin,
-
2:49 - 2:53some bacteria produce compounds
that can break down the key structure -
2:53 - 2:56that interferes with cell wall synthesis.
-
2:56 - 2:58As antibiotic use has increased,
-
2:58 - 3:02more and more bacteria
have evolved this defense, -
3:02 - 3:04making these antibiotics ineffective
-
3:04 - 3:08against a growing number
of bacterial infections. -
3:08 - 3:12This means it’s essential that doctors
not overprescribe the drug. -
3:12 - 3:17Meanwhile, 5 to 15% of patients
in developed countries -
3:17 - 3:20self-identify as allergic to penicillin,
-
3:20 - 3:23making it the most commonly reported
drug allergy. -
3:23 - 3:28However, the vast majority— over 90%—
of people -
3:28 - 3:31who think they’re allergic
to penicillin actually are not. -
3:31 - 3:33Why the misperception?
-
3:33 - 3:36Many patients acquire the allergy label
as children, -
3:36 - 3:40when a rash appears after they’re treated
for an infection with penicillin -
3:40 - 3:42or closely related drugs.
-
3:42 - 3:45The rash is often blamed on penicillin,
-
3:45 - 3:48while the more likely culprit
is the original infection, -
3:48 - 3:52or a reaction between the infection
and the antibiotic. -
3:52 - 3:55However, genuine penicillin allergies,
-
3:55 - 3:58where our immune systems
mistake penicillin for an attacker, -
3:58 - 4:01do occur rarely
and can be very dangerous. -
4:01 - 4:04So if you think you’re allergic
but don’t know for sure, -
4:04 - 4:06your best bet is to visit an allergist.
-
4:06 - 4:09They’ll complete an evaluation
that’ll confirm -
4:09 - 4:11whether or not you have the allergy.
-
4:11 - 4:13Even if you do have a penicillin allergy,
-
4:13 - 4:19your immune cells that react to the drug
may lose their ability to recognize it. -
4:19 - 4:23In fact, about 80% of people
who are allergic to penicillin -
4:23 - 4:26outgrow their allergy
within ten years. -
4:26 - 4:29This is great news for people
who currently identify -
4:29 - 4:31as allergic to penicillin;
-
4:31 - 4:36the drug may one day save their lives,
as it has done for so many others.
- Title:
- The accident that changed the world - Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu
- Speaker:
- Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-accident-that-changed-the-world-allison-ramsey-and-mary-staicu
In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming returned to his lab and found something unexpected: a colony of mold growing on a Petri dish he’d forgotten to place in his incubator. And around this colony of mold was a zone completely and surprisingly clear of bacteria. What was this mysterious phenomenon? Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu detail the discovery of penicillin and how it transformed medicine.
Lesson by Allison Ramsey and Mary Staicu, directed by WOW-HOW Studio.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:36
Elise Haadsma approved English subtitles for The accident that changed the world | ||
Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for The accident that changed the world | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for The accident that changed the world |