Which fungal genus is the primary source of the first widely used antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Penicillium
Alexander Fleming discovered that the mold Penicillium notatum produced a substance (penicillin) that inhibited bacterial growth. This discovery revolutionized medicine and led to the development of the first commercial antibiotics.
Keep practicing
More Fungi questions
- A lichen is a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and which other type of organism?
- Which of the following is an example of an opportunistic fungal pathogen that frequently causes 'thrush' in immunocompromised individuals?
- Aflatoxins, which are highly carcinogenic and can contaminate crops like peanuts, are produced by which genus of fungi?
- In the life cycle of a fungus, the stage where the nuclei of two compatible mating types fuse together is called:
- Which of the following refers to a fungal infection of the scalp?
- The fungal structure specialized for the absorption of nutrients from a living host cell, often found in parasitic fungi, is the: