MICR 4423 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
· What characterized medicine before the late 19th century? What were some common
medical interventions? Who defined the "four humors" theory and when was it defined?
What are the four humors?
Palliative care or aggressive intervention. The four humors characterized medicine before the
late 19th century, which was defined by Galen in 150 AD. The four humors are blood, black and
yellow bile, and phlegm. Sickness occurred when these humors were imbalanced. To intervene,
the humors were attempted to be balanced through blood-letting, blistering, forced vomiting, and
enemas.
· Contrast the treatments required by the "four humors" theory of disease and the germ
theory of disease. (what are the postulates)
The "four humors" assumed that sickness was caused by imbalanced humors. The germ theory of
disease had 4 key postulates. 1) microbes are found among diseased patients but not healthy
ones. 2) germs are culturable/isolatable---not entirely true. 3) if the germs of a sick person are
isolated and transferred to a healthy person, that person will get sick. 4) you can re-isolate from
the now-diseased host. Functionally, this means that a particular microbe is associated with a
particular disease.
· About when did the antibiotic age begin? What was the first widely available antibiotic?
When were the first patients treated with it and when was it widely available?
The antibiotic age began in the 1940's. The first widely available antibiotic was penicillin, a beta-
lactam. In 2/41, Albert Alexander was treated with penicillin but then died because there was not
enough supply. It became widely available in 1945.
· Who was the first patient treated with penicillin who then went on to live a long life?
Anne Miller was treated with penicillin in 1942 after nearly dying from septicemia related to her
miscarriage. She received half the available penicillin at that time and was cured because of it.
,· How was the discovery of dyes that specifically stain particular cell types logically related
to the search for antibacterial drugs?
Paul Ehrlich was looking for a magic bullet that targets microbes, specifically trypanosomes
(sleeping-sickness). With his interest in dyes, he found methylene blue can be used as an anti-
malarial. He discovered that different cells stain differently, meaning they could be targeted in
some way. This led to Salvarsan drug discovery.
· What physical property of Salvarsan and Prontosil made them difficult to administer?
These drugs are not very water soluble, meaning they required a large injection of water to
solubilize the drug. They were also easily oxidized, so they needed to be sealed tightly and
properly.
· What sulfanilamide-related disaster in Tulsa led to tighter federal regulations of drug
labeling and composition?
In 1937, a sulfanilamide derivative was created and sent to Tulsa. To make it more water soluble,
scientists had mixed it with anti-freeze. After sending the batch to Tulsa, people who took it
quickly became sick, killing 73 individuals which led to tighter federal regulation. (1938 passage
of the food, drug, and cosmetic Act)
· Who is typically credited with the discovery of penicillin? What were his key
contributions?
Fleming is usually credited with the discovery of penicillin. He had an agar plate with mold and
staph that dispersed as it got closer to the mold. This prompted him to say, "that's funny." He
then published about this mold juice (penicillium notatum) that produces secretions which killed
bacteria and were harmless to us in 1929.
· What was the principal problem that prevented Fleming from developing penicillin as a
treatment?
His team was bad at extracting the penicillin, meaning they had a very low quantity to develop it
as a treatment.
, · Who composed the team that brought treatment with penicillin from an idea to reality,
and what were their roles? Where did they work? When did they conduct the bulk of their
work?
The Dunn school team was Howard Florey, group leader Visionaire, Ernst Chain, genius chemist
with a photographic memory, and Norman Heatley, mechanical genius MacGyver type. They
worked at the Dunn school in Oxford, UK. The bulk of their work was 1937-1941
· What were the three key advancements in penicillin production that were made at the
Northern Lab in Peoria, IL, and how did they take place?
1) They found a hyper-producing penicillium strain that makes more penicillin
a. Kenneth Raper and "Moldy" Mary Hunt who got it from moldy cantaloupe
2) They found a medium and growth conditions that improve production
a. Andrew Moyer: corn steep liquor and sugar-> 1000x production improvement
3) Deep tank fermentation
a. Robert Coghill-> Agitate and aerate with sterile air
· What got US pharmaceutical companies interested in penicillin production?
The war production board created the penicillin producers industry advisory committee to recruit
American companies to make penicillin
Benefits:
1) All access to current MFG knowledge
2) Ownership of advancements to protocols (patents)
3) Tax breaks and grants for new factories
4) Govt promises to buy penicillin for $200/million units.
· What disaster in Boston put penicillin in the spotlight?
In 11/42, the cocoanut grove fire happened. Over 1000 people were crammed into the 500 person
club venue. The doors, besides one revolving door, were bolted shut to prevent people sneaking
in for free. A fire erupted quickly and bodies piled up at the door. 492 people died. Some of the
patients got penicillin and got better (though abx was not curative dose). The Boston Globe
called penicillin "priceless."
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
· What characterized medicine before the late 19th century? What were some common
medical interventions? Who defined the "four humors" theory and when was it defined?
What are the four humors?
Palliative care or aggressive intervention. The four humors characterized medicine before the
late 19th century, which was defined by Galen in 150 AD. The four humors are blood, black and
yellow bile, and phlegm. Sickness occurred when these humors were imbalanced. To intervene,
the humors were attempted to be balanced through blood-letting, blistering, forced vomiting, and
enemas.
· Contrast the treatments required by the "four humors" theory of disease and the germ
theory of disease. (what are the postulates)
The "four humors" assumed that sickness was caused by imbalanced humors. The germ theory of
disease had 4 key postulates. 1) microbes are found among diseased patients but not healthy
ones. 2) germs are culturable/isolatable---not entirely true. 3) if the germs of a sick person are
isolated and transferred to a healthy person, that person will get sick. 4) you can re-isolate from
the now-diseased host. Functionally, this means that a particular microbe is associated with a
particular disease.
· About when did the antibiotic age begin? What was the first widely available antibiotic?
When were the first patients treated with it and when was it widely available?
The antibiotic age began in the 1940's. The first widely available antibiotic was penicillin, a beta-
lactam. In 2/41, Albert Alexander was treated with penicillin but then died because there was not
enough supply. It became widely available in 1945.
· Who was the first patient treated with penicillin who then went on to live a long life?
Anne Miller was treated with penicillin in 1942 after nearly dying from septicemia related to her
miscarriage. She received half the available penicillin at that time and was cured because of it.
,· How was the discovery of dyes that specifically stain particular cell types logically related
to the search for antibacterial drugs?
Paul Ehrlich was looking for a magic bullet that targets microbes, specifically trypanosomes
(sleeping-sickness). With his interest in dyes, he found methylene blue can be used as an anti-
malarial. He discovered that different cells stain differently, meaning they could be targeted in
some way. This led to Salvarsan drug discovery.
· What physical property of Salvarsan and Prontosil made them difficult to administer?
These drugs are not very water soluble, meaning they required a large injection of water to
solubilize the drug. They were also easily oxidized, so they needed to be sealed tightly and
properly.
· What sulfanilamide-related disaster in Tulsa led to tighter federal regulations of drug
labeling and composition?
In 1937, a sulfanilamide derivative was created and sent to Tulsa. To make it more water soluble,
scientists had mixed it with anti-freeze. After sending the batch to Tulsa, people who took it
quickly became sick, killing 73 individuals which led to tighter federal regulation. (1938 passage
of the food, drug, and cosmetic Act)
· Who is typically credited with the discovery of penicillin? What were his key
contributions?
Fleming is usually credited with the discovery of penicillin. He had an agar plate with mold and
staph that dispersed as it got closer to the mold. This prompted him to say, "that's funny." He
then published about this mold juice (penicillium notatum) that produces secretions which killed
bacteria and were harmless to us in 1929.
· What was the principal problem that prevented Fleming from developing penicillin as a
treatment?
His team was bad at extracting the penicillin, meaning they had a very low quantity to develop it
as a treatment.
, · Who composed the team that brought treatment with penicillin from an idea to reality,
and what were their roles? Where did they work? When did they conduct the bulk of their
work?
The Dunn school team was Howard Florey, group leader Visionaire, Ernst Chain, genius chemist
with a photographic memory, and Norman Heatley, mechanical genius MacGyver type. They
worked at the Dunn school in Oxford, UK. The bulk of their work was 1937-1941
· What were the three key advancements in penicillin production that were made at the
Northern Lab in Peoria, IL, and how did they take place?
1) They found a hyper-producing penicillium strain that makes more penicillin
a. Kenneth Raper and "Moldy" Mary Hunt who got it from moldy cantaloupe
2) They found a medium and growth conditions that improve production
a. Andrew Moyer: corn steep liquor and sugar-> 1000x production improvement
3) Deep tank fermentation
a. Robert Coghill-> Agitate and aerate with sterile air
· What got US pharmaceutical companies interested in penicillin production?
The war production board created the penicillin producers industry advisory committee to recruit
American companies to make penicillin
Benefits:
1) All access to current MFG knowledge
2) Ownership of advancements to protocols (patents)
3) Tax breaks and grants for new factories
4) Govt promises to buy penicillin for $200/million units.
· What disaster in Boston put penicillin in the spotlight?
In 11/42, the cocoanut grove fire happened. Over 1000 people were crammed into the 500 person
club venue. The doors, besides one revolving door, were bolted shut to prevent people sneaking
in for free. A fire erupted quickly and bodies piled up at the door. 492 people died. Some of the
patients got penicillin and got better (though abx was not curative dose). The Boston Globe
called penicillin "priceless."
