Multiple Choice
Who was the first person to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation?
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2. Disproving Spontaneous Generation
History of Spontaneous Generation Summarized
Multiple Choice
Spallanzani and Pasteur both disproved spontaneous generation in their experiments. What did Pasteur do differently that still allowed him to come to the same conclusion as Spallanzani?
A
Air could enter the flasks, but microorganisms and dust particles could not enter.
B
No air could enter the flasks, but microorganisms could enter.
C
Neither air nor microorganisms could enter the flasks.
D
Both air and microorganisms could enter the flasks
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of spontaneous generation, which is the idea that living organisms can arise from non-living matter.
Review Spallanzani's experiment, where he boiled broth in sealed flasks to show that no microorganisms appeared, suggesting that life did not spontaneously generate.
Examine Pasteur's experiment, where he used swan-neck flasks that allowed air to enter but prevented microorganisms and dust particles from reaching the broth.
Recognize that Pasteur's design allowed air to enter the flasks, which was a key difference from Spallanzani's sealed flasks, while still preventing contamination.
Conclude that Pasteur's experiment demonstrated that microorganisms did not spontaneously generate, as they were unable to reach the broth despite the presence of air.
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