MicroPar Lec1

• Who reported that life’s smallest structural units were “little boxes” or “cells”?

  Robert Hooke
• What did Robert Hooke's discovery mark the beginning of?

  The Cell Theory
• In what year did Robert Hooke make his discovery about cells?

  1665
• Who is recognized as the “Father of Microbiology”?

  Anton van Leeuwenhoek
• What term did Anton van Leeuwenhoek use to describe live microorganisms?

  Animalcules
• In what year did Anton van Leeuwenhoek observe live microorganisms?

  1673
• What was the belief about “Spontaneous Generation” until the mid-1880s?


  That living organisms could arise from nonliving matter
• Who demonstrated that maggots appear on decaying meat only when flies can lay eggs on it?

  Francesco Redi
• What experimental setup did Francesco Redi use to prove his point about maggots?

  Three jars: one opened, one covered with gauze, and one sealed
• In what year did Francesco Redi conduct his experiment on maggots?

  1668
• What did John Needham claim about microorganisms and nutrient broth?

  That microorganisms could arise spontaneously from heated nutrient broth
• What did John Needham believe was necessary for spontaneous generation to occur?

  A "vital force"
• Who repeated John Needham’s experiments and suggested a different explanation for the results?

  Lazzaro Spallanzani
• What did Lazzaro Spallanzani suggest was the reason for Needham’s results?

  Microorganisms in the air entered his broth
• In what year did Lazzaro Spallanzani conduct his experiments?

  1765
• What concept did Rudolf Virchow introduce?

  The Concept of Biogenesis
• In what year did Rudolf Virchow introduce the Concept of Biogenesis?

  1858
• What did Louis Pasteur demonstrate about microorganisms?

  That microorganisms are in the air everywhere
• In what year did Louis Pasteur conduct his experiments?

  1861
• What was the purpose of Pasteur's swan-neck experiment?

  To prove that microorganisms in the air contaminate sterile solutions
• What invention is attributed to Louis Pasteur?

  The Pasteur pipet
• What are the contributions of Louis Pasteur to microbiology?


  • Demonstrated that microorganisms are in the air
  • Developed the principles of vaccination
  • Discovered microbial fermentation
  • Invented pasteurization
  • Created aseptic techniques for laboratories and medical procedures