Hey Guys,
I know that the Theory of Spontaneous Generation is about the development of living things from non living matter. I am so confused as to how this theory can account for the development of infectious diseases before the Germ Theory?
Please,
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Hey I.09!
Your definition of Spontaneous Generation is spot on!
These are my thoughts:
The Theory of Spontaneous Generation was capable of accounting for the development of infectious diseases because of the
"Miasma Theory". Miasma theory is the theory that a poisonous "cloud" or some kind of invisible "bad air" causes infectious diseases.
For Example, it was thought that infectious diseases were caught from the odour of rotting foods or decomposing matter, not from "germs" on surfaces or skin etc. (We now know that this is wrong)
This theory is now obsolete and so too Spontaneous Generation. The current theory we refer to is, "Germ Theory", as supported by Louis Pasteur's Swan Necked Flask experiment, demonstrating that infectious agents do not randomly generate.
These videos may help:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9LC-3ZKiok&ab_channel=TED-EdThe first few minutes of this one -->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7zgHcxNAX4&ab_channel=AudiopediaI hope this helps!
Coolmate