People once thought that life could arise from nonliving matter, an idea called spontaneous generation. How did scientists show this idea to be incorrect?

Question

1. Louis Pasteur conducted an experiment on the growth of microbes in meat broth.
2. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek observed tiny living things under a microscope.
3. Robert Hooke identified cells in the tissue of cork.
4. Genetic scientists transferred genes between organisms.

Answer 1

The idea of spontaneous generation was famously challenged and ultimately disproven by Louis Pasteur. So the correct way to show that spontaneous generation was incorrect is:

1. Louis Pasteur conducted an experiment on the growth of microbes in meat broth.

Pasteur's experiments in the mid-1800s demonstrated that microorganisms did not arise spontaneously but were instead the result of contamination from the air. His use of swan-necked flasks allowed air to enter while preventing microbial contamination, showing that when the broth was protected from air, it remained sterile. This was a critical turning point in understanding the origin of life and the importance of sterilization in scientific processes.