Louis Pasteur 's Experiment

Louis Pasteur - One of the first to disprove spontaneous generation. A French scientist who proved that micro organisms was carried by dust not air. (French 1864)

Spontaneous Generation


Pasteur's Problem

Where do the microbes come from to cause broth to decay.

Hypothesis: Microbes come from cells of organisms on dust particles in the air; not the air itself.

Pasteur put broth into several special S-shaped flasks

Each flask was boiled and placed at various locations

 

Pasteur's Experiment Step 1

S-shaped Flask

Filled with broth

The special shaped was intended to trap any dust particles coming in.

 

Pasteur's Experiment Step 2

Flasks boiled

Flasks boiled

Micropes Killed

Pasteur's Experiment Step 3

Flask Left Out

Flask left at various locations

Did not turn cloudy

Microbes not found

Pasteur's Experiment Step 3

Flask Left Out

Notice the dust that collected in the neck of the flask

Pasteur's Experiment Results

What did Pasteur's experiment show?

Was his hypothesis correct or incorrect?


Return to Spontaneous Generation Page

If you would like to comment or ask questions, contact: Webmaster

Copyright ©, 1998 Tim Lynch