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Spontaneous Generation: by Group 2

The document discusses the history of the theory of spontaneous generation from Aristotle to Louis Pasteur. [1] Aristotle originally proposed the idea that life could arise from non-living matter, an idea that went unchallenged for over 2000 years. [2] Francesco Redi provided the first evidence against spontaneous generation by showing that flies, not decaying meat, produced maggots. [3] Through a series of experiments in sterilization techniques, scientists like Spallanzani and Pasteur eventually disproved spontaneous generation, culminating in Pasteur's experiments showing that microbes could only arise from pre-existing life.

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48 views

Spontaneous Generation: by Group 2

The document discusses the history of the theory of spontaneous generation from Aristotle to Louis Pasteur. [1] Aristotle originally proposed the idea that life could arise from non-living matter, an idea that went unchallenged for over 2000 years. [2] Francesco Redi provided the first evidence against spontaneous generation by showing that flies, not decaying meat, produced maggots. [3] Through a series of experiments in sterilization techniques, scientists like Spallanzani and Pasteur eventually disproved spontaneous generation, culminating in Pasteur's experiments showing that microbes could only arise from pre-existing life.

Uploaded by

Brian Ivie David
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Spontaneous Generation

By group 2
Aristotle - One of the first to record his observation about spontaneous generation

-The theory of
spontaneous generation
states that life arose from
nonliving matter. It was a Francesco - Italian scientist
long-held belief dating
back to Aristotle and the Redi
ancient Greeks.

-Aristotle describe the Francesco Redi disproved the theory of spontaneous


formation of maggots from generation for the first time. His experiment has
decaying meat & sudden demonstrated maggots arise from flies not from the
appearance of rats from decaying matter.
stored grains etc.

-Aristotle’s concepts
remained unchallenged for
more than 2000 years
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

John Needham

After the discovery of microorganism by


Leeuwenhoek in 1676 the arguments on
spontaneous generation has taken a new turn. Many
scientist have proposed theories which reveals
microorganism arise form spontaneous generation, In 1745, John Needham (1713–1781) published a report
although larger organism did not. Later, there were of his own experiments, in which he briefly boiled
a lot of arguments on spontaneous generation. broth infused with plant or animal matter, hoping to
kill all preexisting microbes. He then sealed the
flasks. ... He argued that the new microbes must have
arisen spontaneously.
Lazaro Spallanzani Theodor Schwann

Theodor Schwann passed the air into a flask


Lazaro Spallanzani has further improved containing broth through a red hot tube.
Needham’s experiment. He boiled the meat The broth in the flask has shown no growth.
broth and completely sealed the flask. And
the microorganisms did not grow. He
concluded, air had carried germs to the
broth.
Theodor von Dusch

Louis Pasteur

George Friedrich Schroder - Louis Pasteur rejected the theory of spontaneous


generation and demonstrated that life came from
pre-existing life. In his experiment, he kept killed
George yeast cells in pre-sterilised flask and another flask
George Friedrich
Friedrich Schroder
Schroder && Theodor
Theodor Von
Von Dusch
Dusch
have open into air. The life did not evolved in the former
have allowed
allowed air
air through
through a
a sterile
sterile cotton.
cotton. No
No
growth but new living thing evolved in the later flask.
growth was
was observed.
observed. They
They said
said the
the
microorganism
microorganism from
from external
external environment
environment were
were - Later in 1861 Louis Pasteur has completely
trapped by the cotton fibers. The usage
trapped by the cotton fibers. The usage of of disproved the spontaneous generation concept by his
cotton
cotton plugs
plugs avoid
avoid microbial
microbial contamination
contamination swan-neck experiment.
exist
exist even
even today.
today.

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