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Jan 12, 1580
Jean-Baptiste van Helmont
Believed in Abiogenesis
"If you press a piece of underwear soiled with sweat together with some wheat in an open mouth jar, after about 21 days the odor changes and the ferment coming out of the underwear and penetrating through the husks of the wheat, changes the wheat into mice. But what is more remarkable is that mice of both sexes emerge and what is even more remarkable is that the mice which came out were not small mice? but fully grown."
Died: December 30 1644 -
Francesco Redi
Believed in Biogenesis.
1668 performed an experiment to check wheather maggots really came from decaying meat. Placed meat in a number of jars and covering half of them with fine gauze while leaving the others uncovered. Maggots developed only on uncovered meat. From this, Redi concluded that the maggots did not come from the meat, but they came from tiny eggs that flies had laid on the meat. He concluded dying meat could not produce maggots. Only flies could produce maggots.
Died:March 1 1697 -
John Needham
Believd in Abiogenisis
he placed a broth, into a bottle, heated the bottle to kill anything inside, then sealed it. Days later, he reported the presence of life in the broth and announced that life had been created from nonlife. In actuality, he did not heat it long enough to kill all the microbes.
Died: dec. 30 1781 -
Lazzaro Spallanzani
He had two flasks both were heated so all bacteria would be eliminated, He had one chicken broth sample come in contact with the air and the other did not. Results: chicken broth sample that had come in contact with air had life, things growing. Lazzaro’s sample that had not come in contact with air did not have life growing in it at all. But even though Lazzaro Spallanzani had proven that spontaneous generation did not exist it was still debated and considered possible. Died: Feb 12 1799 -
Louis Pasture
Believed in Biogenesis, He disproved Abiogenesis
Pasteur filled a flask with medium, heated it to kill all life, and then drew out the neck of the flask into a long S shape. This prevented microorganisms in the air from easily entering the flask, yet allowed some air interchange.After prolonged incubation the flasks remained free of life and ended the debate for most scientists.
Died: September 28 1895