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Which one of the following experiments suggests that simplest living organisms could not have originated spontaneously from non-living matter -
A
Larvae could appear in decaying organic matter
B
Meat was not spoiled, when heated and kept sealed in a vessel
C
Microbes did not appear in stored meat
D
Microbes appeared from unsterilized organic matter
Detailed Solution
The theory of spontaneous generation stated that life could arise from decaying and rotting matter.
In experiments of the type performed by Spallanzani and later by Louis Pasteur, meat broth was heated (to kill the microbes already present) and kept sealed.
No microbes appeared and the meat did not spoil, while broth exposed to air soon became full of microbes.
This showed that microbes arise only from pre-existing microbes that enter from outside, and not spontaneously from the non-living matter.
The appearance of larvae or microbes in decaying or unsterilised matter would be consistent with spontaneous generation, so those observations do not disprove it.
So the experiment that disproves spontaneous generation is: meat was not spoiled when heated and kept sealed in a vessel.
In experiments of the type performed by Spallanzani and later by Louis Pasteur, meat broth was heated (to kill the microbes already present) and kept sealed.
No microbes appeared and the meat did not spoil, while broth exposed to air soon became full of microbes.
This showed that microbes arise only from pre-existing microbes that enter from outside, and not spontaneously from the non-living matter.
The appearance of larvae or microbes in decaying or unsterilised matter would be consistent with spontaneous generation, so those observations do not disprove it.
So the experiment that disproves spontaneous generation is: meat was not spoiled when heated and kept sealed in a vessel.