Penicillin Case

Penicillin occur where there is a lot of organic matter which is sufficient for active decomposition. they are saprophytic in nature, living on dead organic matter. they are cosmopolitan in distribution. a few species grow on forest floors, damp wood,etc. the structure of penicillium is that the vegetative mycelium is well developed and consists of branched septate hyphae. the hyphal cells are thin walled and have a small central pore. some cells are multinucleate. a part of the hyphae remain submerged and attached to the substrtum for nutrient absorption. asexual reproduction takes place by formation of conidia. the conidiophores arise vertically from any cell( not necessarily the foot cell) and are simple, erect, branched. the branched conidiophores gives a brush shaped like appearance. conidiophores bear a row of sterigmata at their tips. the conidia are produced on the sterigmata. the conidia are characteristically blue-green in colour. sexual reproduction occurs by formation of antheridium and ascogonium. significance- penicillium notatum and penicillium chryrogenum are used in the production of penicillin, a powerful antibiotic,selective for gram positive bacteria, some spirochetes and gram negative diplococci penicillium chrysogenum, a mutant form is capable of producing large amounts of penicillin.penicillin camenberti is required for the normal body and characteristic flavour of camenbert cheeze. griseoflavin is obtained from penicillin griseofulvin and is used to treat superficial skin infections and is also effective in treating systematic mycosis. penicillium italicum and penicillium expanseum are plant pathogens and cause many diseases. mycotoxicosis-several species of penicillium produce toxins which cause toxaemia.

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