c1700-c1900

• What year did Louis Pasteur make his first discovery related to germ theory?

  1860
• What did Louis Pasteur conclude about decay and germs?

  Germs cause decay, not the other way around
• What was the misconception about spontaneous generation that Pasteur challenged?

  That tiny creatures come from rotting food
• How did Pasteur propose to prove his hypothesis about germs?

  By testing and observing the growth of microbes
• What was the first step in Pasteur's experiment to prove his hypothesis?

  Boil some fresh broth and leave it in an open jar
• In what year did Pasteur discover that germs can cause disease?

  1878
• What specific observation did Pasteur make regarding silkworms?

  Silkworms were being killed by a particular microbe
• What was the significance of Pasteur's germ theory of infection?

  It suggested that germs could cause disease in humans
• How did germ theory influence public health legislation in Britain?

  It led to the passing of the 1875 Public Health Act
• What was one of the outcomes of Pasteur's discoveries in medicine?

  It led to the discovery of antiseptics
• What was a limitation of Pasteur's work regarding germ theory?

  He did not identify which microbes caused which diseases
• Why was it difficult for people to accept germ theory initially?

  Ideas about miasma and spontaneous generation had been around for centuries
• In what year was Louis Pasteur's discovery about germs and decay?

  1860
• What was Louis Pasteur's discovery about germs and decay?

  Decay does not cause germs: germs cause decay.
• Why did Louis Pasteur initially believe in the theory of spontaneous generation?

  He could see that retting food covered in flies and maggots, so he thought the rotting food must produce these tiny creatures.
• What did Louis Pasteur do to prove his hypothesis that germs come from the air, not from the food?

  He boiled some fresh broth (soup), closed up the jar so the air couldn't get in, and waited to see if microbes (germs) would grow in the broth.
• What did Louis Pasteur's discovery about germs and decay lead to?

  It led to the realization that germs don't just cause decay, they can also cause disease.
• What was the name of the theory that Louis Pasteur's germ theory of infection replaced?

  The miasma theory.
• Why did it take a long time for people to accept Louis Pasteur's germ theory?

  Ideas about miasma and spontaneous generation had been around for centuries, and Pasteur had not yet identified which microbes caused which diseases.
• How did Louis Pasteur's germ theory influence the British government?

  It led to the British government passing the 1875 Public Health Act.
• What were the key steps in Louis Pasteur's experiment to disprove spontaneous generation?

  1. Leave broth in an open jar to let the air in
  2. Boil some fresh broth and close up the jar so the air can't get in
  3. Wait and watch to see if microbes (germs) grow in the broth
• How did Louis Pasteur's germ theory of infection lead to medical progress?

  • It provided new knowledge that helped John Snow prove dirty water had caused cholera
  • It influenced the British government to pass the 1875 Public Health Act
  • It led to the discovery of antiseptics
  • Pasteur was the first to identify the cause of disease
• Why did it take a long time for people to accept Louis Pasteur's germ theory?

  • Ideas about miasma and spontaneous generation had been around for centuries
  • Pasteur had not yet identified which microbes caused which diseases
  • Pasteur was a chemist, not a medical doctor, so this was not his priority
  • If the correct microbe could not be identified, it could not be destroyed, so there was no sure way to prevent or treat disease