Sulfanilamide Movies

Sulfanilamide Video No. 1 - Crystallites of the antibiotic sulfanilamide slowly melt as the sample is heated in a special hot stage. The sequence was captured with time-lapse cinemicrography under polarized illumination at a magnification of 100x and a playing time of 9.6 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (1.08 MB).

Sulfa drugs (sulfonamides) were the first chemical substances used to cure and prevent bacterial infections in humans. Although the active ingredient, sulfanilamide, was first synthesized in 1908, it wasn't until 1932 that scientists discovered that it could cure streptococcal infections in mice. Sulfonamides are bacteriostatic drugs. They do not kill bacteria but inhibit growth and multiplication by interfering with their enzyme systems. Coupled with the body's defense mechanism, sulfa drugs can be used to control infection.