The British bacteriologist Alexander
Fleming discovered that penicillin could be used to cure infections. This
discovery also initiated a new way of treating patients who suffer from
disease. Antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines are now routinely used
to save lives, prevent diseases, and improve the quality of life. Many
"wonder drugs" were discovered by isolating active substances from natural
sources. Others were identified from folk medicines or by examining the
effects of chemicals synthesized in the laboratory.
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![]() Marianna A. Busch is the Chair and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Baylor University. Her Top 10 list centers on the most important scientific events of the 1900's. She discusses what these events meant to scientists and society in general. She calls attention to a number of the groundbreaking scientists who left their mark on the world of science in this century. |