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Smallpox Vaccine
This idea was introduced by Edward Jenner in 1796. He observed that milkmaids who had previously caught cowpox did not later catch smallpox. He then invented a vaccine that could be used to protect people against smallpox. -
Pasteurization
Louis Pasteur introduced the idea of pasteurization in 1864. He discovered that microbes were responsible for souring alcohol, and the bacteria can be destroyed by heating beverages and allowing them to cool. Pasteurization is the process of heat processing a liquid or a food to kill pathogenic bacteria to make the food safe to eat. The use of pasteurization has helped reduce the transmission of diseases, such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, polio, and dysentery. -
Periodic Table
The periodic table was created by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. Mendeleev created this in order to allow us to study elements in a more systematic manner. He arranged the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number. Elements with similar properties appear under each other. When the Periodic Table was first organized, it had only 60 known elements. Many scientists have added on to Mendeleev's discoveries, so there are currently 118 elements. -
Penicillin
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. He observed that mold in the genus Penicillium inhibited the growth of bacteria. The antibacterial Penicillin is used to treat bacterial infections. In order to harvest the penicillin from the mold, scientists grew the mold, extracted the penicillin, and purified it. During World War II the medicine was mass produced to help wounded soldiers with infections. -
Polyethylene
Polyethylene was discovered by Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson in 1933. It is used for many plastic products. This includes plastic bags and plastic wrap. Polyethylene is very useful because it can be melted, frozen, and reheated without any major damage.