Question

Name the scientists who disproved the theory of spontaneous generation.

• A. Aristotle, Linnaeus and Darwin
  
• B. Francisco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur
  
• C. Bentham and Hooker
  
• D. Mendel, Francis crick and Hugo de vries
  

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Francisco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur

The theory of the spontaneous generation was popularized in 1668. It suggested that the life has originated from the non-living matter. According to the theory, a pot filled with wheat grain would led to the origin of rats, a rotting piece of meat would give rise to maggots and so on. However, this theory was disapproved by Francisco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur. Francisco Redi used different flasks, like open flasks, sealed flasks and gauze-covered flasks and kept meat in each one of them. The maggots appeared only in open flask. He suggested that maggots have appeared due to egg-laying by flies and not by the meat.

Lazzaro Spallanzani proved that even in a boiled broth, micro-organisms appeared not because of the broth but because the micro-organisms were present in air and if the broth is not covered, even the boiling can not prevent microbial growth.

Louis Pasteur used S-shaped flask and boiled broth in it. There was no microbial growth in the broth as all the microbes got settled in the neck region and could not enter into the broth.

Hnece, the correct answer is 'Francisco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani, Louis Pasteur'.