1. Spontaneous Generation
A belief that living things came from non living things.
Example of this myth:
Eels came from the slime of river bottoms.
Maggots came from decaying meat.

2. Spontaneous Generation
These myths were accepted because the scientific method was not used.
Two scientists whose experiments disproved spontaneous generation:
Francisco Redi
Louis Pasteur

3. Spontaneous Generation
(1668) Redi- showed that maggots don’t arise from decaying meat.

4. Spontaneous Generation
1675 Microorganisms were discovered.
Some believed that microorganisms arose spontaneously.

5. Spontaneous Generation
1864; Pasteur
Hypothesized that “spores” were on dust particles in the air.
Developed a way to
let air in and
keep dust out.

6. Spontaneous Generation
Pasteur’s Experiment:
1) Boiled broth (“infusions”)
Formed S shaped neck on flask- allowed air in but not dust & microbes.
3) Tilted one flask until broth touched curve and dust.

7. Spontaneous Generation
Results:
no growth of microbes in upright flask
microbes grew in “tilted” flask

8. Spontaneous Generation
Redi and Pasteur supported the theory of BIOGENESIS
new organisms are created from existing organisms.