Q 01/05

Antibiotics work against bacteria but are useless against which of these?

A) Streptococci

B) Staphylococci

C) Viruses

D) Spirochaetes

Answer · why

C) Viruses

Prescribing them for colds and other viral infections is one of the commonest forms of misuse.

Q 02/05

What does the word 'antibiotic' literally mean, from its Greek roots?

A) 'Against rot'

B) 'Opposing life'

C) 'Small killer'

D) 'Clean blood'

Answer · why

B) 'Opposing life'

In strict usage the term covers substances one microbe makes to fight another; fully synthetic drugs like sulfonamides are technically 'antibacterials...

Q 03/05

Who discovered penicillin after noticing mould on a culture plate at a London hospital?

A) Alexander Fleming

B) Ernst Chain

C) Louis Pasteur

D) Howard Florey

Answer · why

A) Alexander Fleming

He could not persuade anyone it mattered, largely because the substance was so hard to isolate.

Q 04/05

At which London hospital was penicillin discovered?

A) St Mary's, Paddington

B) The Royal Free

C) St Bartholomew's

D) Guy's, Southwark

Answer · why

A) St Mary's, Paddington

The laboratory is now a museum, and an International Historic Chemical Landmark plaque was placed there in 1999.

Q 05/05

Which bacterium was growing on the famous contaminated culture plate that led to penicillin?

A) Bacillus anthracis

B) Escherichia coli

C) Staphylococcus aureus

D) Streptococcus pyogenes

Answer · why

C) Staphylococcus aureus

The chance observation was made on 3 September and confirmed with a new experiment on 28 September.