Question

People once thought that life could arise from nonliving matter, an idea called spontaneous generation. How did scientists show this idea to be incorrect?
-Robert Hooke identified cells in the tissue of cork
-Louis Pasteur conducted an experiment on the growth of microbes in meat broth
-Genetic scientists transferred genes between organisms
-Antonie van leeuwenhoek observed tiny living things under a microscope

Answer 1

The idea of spontaneous generation, the notion that life could arise from nonliving matter, was disproven primarily through the work of **Louis Pasteur**. He conducted a series of experiments demonstrating that microbes were responsible for the contamination of sterile meat broth, thus supporting the idea that life comes from existing life rather than from nonliving matter. Pasteur's famous swan-neck flask experiment showed that when broth was boiled to sterilize it and the flask was left open to the air but protected by the swan-shaped neck, no microbial growth occurred. This indicated that microorganisms in the air, not spontaneous generation, were responsible for contamination.

Therefore, the correct answer is: **Louis Pasteur conducted an experiment on the growth of microbes in meat broth.**