The Origin of the First Life Forms

Question 1

A Greek philosopher that believed that with a favorable environment and forces of nature, life can come from non-living materials

Answer 1

Aristotle

Question 2

This theory is also known as Spontaneous Generation.

Answer 2

Abiogenesis Theory

Question 3

This theory states that life could appear from a non-living material

Answer 3

Abiogenesis Theory

Question 4

An Italian physician that conducted an experiment that changes the idea of Spontaneous Generation

Answer 4

Francisco Redi

Question 5

An Italian physician that was able to prove that organisms do not just come to life spontaneously

Answer 5

Francisco Redi

Question 6

What year did Francisco Redi conduct his experiment?

Answer 6

1886

Question 7

An English Priest and Biologist that challenged Redi’s experiment.

Answer 7

John Needham

Question 8

An English Priest and Biologist that tried to prove that Spontaneous Generation can occur in appropriate conditions.

Answer 8

John Needham

Question 9

What year did John Needham challenge Redi’s experiment and conduct his own?

Answer 9

1748

Question 10

What happened in John Needham’s experiment?

Answer 10

• Heat could kill the organisms, even the smallest ones
• When the broth was boiled, all organisms in it had died from the heat
• Days later, he noticed that a thick solution had formed in the broth

Question 11

An Italian scholar and scientist that conducted an experiment to verify Needham’s setup.

Answer 11

Lazzaro Spallanzani

Question 12

What year did Lazzaro Spallanzani conduct his own experiment?

Answer 12

1767

Question 13

What significant errors did Lazzaro Spallanzani find in Needham’s experiment?

Answer 13

• Needham had not heated the broth enough to kill all organisms in it
• Needham had left the flasks open as they cooled, exposing them to air

Question 14

What happened in Lazzaro Spallanzani’s experiment?

Answer 14

• The setup that was sealed remained free from microbial growth
• He concluded that life occured from something that entered the unsealed flask and that it was the one responsible for life to grow

Question 15

This scientist concluded that life occured from something that entered the unsealed flask and that it was the one responsible for life to grow

Answer 15

Lazzaro Spallanzani

Question 16

This French chemist convinced most scientists that spontaneous generation could not occur.

Answer 16

Louis Pasteur

Question 17

He made an experiment to test the idea that a vital element from air was necessary for life to emerge

Answer 17

Louis Pasteur

Question 18

What happened in Louis Pasteur’s experiment?

Answer 18

• He boiled sugar solution with yeast in the flask with long neck
• Eliminated the contaminants through heating
• The flask was left open to allow the vital factor in the air to enter but no organisms develop in the mixture
• It was because the microorganism only settled on the bottom of the curced neck of the flask and could not reach the mixture

Question 19

“Maggots in the flask”

Answer 19

Francisco Redi

Question 20

“Boiled broth to kill organisms in it but kept the container open”

Answer 20

John Needham

Question 21

“Redo John Needham’s experiment but with a different setup”

Answer 21

Lazzaro Spallanzani

Question 22

“Curved neck setup”

Answer 22

Louis Pasteur

Question 23

What year was Louis Pasteur’s experiment conducted?

Answer 23

1859