Heroes and Cultural Identity Project

SCE Heroes - Louis Pasteur

GERM THEORY

LOUIS PASTEUR

by Kelly Robinson

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist, best known for his breakthroughs in the causes and prevention of disease.

Pasteur proved that most diseases were caused by bacteria that were contracted through spores in the air and proposed that preventing the entry of microorganisms into the human body would prevent disease.

Pastures experiments supported "Germ Theory "and with other scientists he discovered biogenesis. Pasture believed that life forms produce other life forms, summarized in the phrase, Omne vivum ex vivo Latin for "all life [is] from [an] egg". This shows that modern organisms do not spontaneously arise in nature from non-life as it was commonly believed to be until the 19th century, by scientists dating back as far as Aristotle who thought that life frequently arose from non-life under certain circumstances (spontaneous generation/Abiogenesis).

Although Pasture did not discover germ theory (Girolamo Fracastoro among others had proposed the idea years before) he developed and proved its validity whilst convincing most of Europe it was true. This lead to major changes in medical practice regarding techniques and medication used for the treatment and prevention of disease. Joseph Listers antiseptic methods in surgery and Alexander Flemings discovery of antibiotics were a direct result of Pasteur's findings.

Kelly Robinson is a science student following a one year university access course in biological sciences.