penicillin
To view the entire topic, please log in or purchase a subscription.
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary Online + App from F.A. Davis and Unbound Medicine. Find 75,000 medical and nursing definitions. Download to iPhone, iPad, and Android. Explore these free sample topics:
-- The first section of this topic is shown below --
(pen″ĭ-sil′ĭn)

[Penicillium + -in]
Any of a group of antibiotics biosynthesized by several species of molds, esp. Penicillium notatum and P. chrysogenum. Penicillin is bactericidal, inhibiting the growth of some gram-positive bacteria and some spirochetes by interfering with cell wall synthesis. There are many different penicillins, including synthetic ones, and their effectiveness varies for different organisms.
SEE: penicillin allergy
-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please log in or purchase a subscription --
(pen″ĭ-sil′ĭn)

[Penicillium + -in]
Any of a group of antibiotics biosynthesized by several species of molds, esp. Penicillium notatum and P. chrysogenum. Penicillin is bactericidal, inhibiting the growth of some gram-positive bacteria and some spirochetes by interfering with cell wall synthesis. There are many different penicillins, including synthetic ones, and their effectiveness varies for different organisms.
SEE: penicillin allergy
There's more to see -- the rest of this entry is available only to subscribers.