Rachelle Danya M.

Dela Rosa July 16, 2017

Grade 12 Cassiopeia

Summative Performance Task #1:

Never will the doctrine of spontaneous generation recover from the mortal blow struck
by this experiment. Louis Pasteur. It was once believed that life could come from nonliving
things, such as mice from corn, flies from bovine manure, maggots from rotting meat, and fish
from the mud of previously dry lakes. However, several experiments have been conducted to
disprove the idea of spontaneous generation; one of which was conducted by Louis Pasteur.

Pasteurs hypothesis was that if cells could arise from nonliving substances, then they should
appear spontaneously in sterile broth. To test his hypothesis, Louis Pasteur designed an
experiment to test whether sterile broth could naturally generate microbial life. To do this, he set
up two experiments. In both, Pasteur added broth to flasks, bent the necks of the flasks into S
shapes, and then boiled the broth to kill any existing microbes. He then let the broth cool and
broke off the swan neck from the first flask, exposing the broth to air from above, while leaving
the other flask alone. After allowing it to sit for several days, Pasteur had discovered a sign of
microbial life in the first flask due to exposure to the surrounding air while the second flask
remained sterile and no life arose. Because of these experimental results, the hypothesis of
spontaneous generation was rejected. He was able to convince the world that even if exposed to
air, life did not arise from nonliving things.

The methods that were used in the study are valid and appropriate for the experiment Pasteur had
carried out. Such as the process of boiling the broth to ensure that there would be no existing
microbes before conducting the experiment and making use of gravity to abstain any bacteria
from entering the s-shaped flasks. The process of experimentation was done in a simple approach
but was presented in a logical manner. The validity of his argument was strongly supported by
evidences from his experiment. They can also be duplicated because the step by step process of
each method was stated with clarity. Therefore, one may be able to see or test for himself the
outcome of the experiment. Also, the objective of Pasteurs experiment was able to have a
productive flow which gave birth to the new discovery regarding the origin of life.

I believe that Pasteurs experiment on spontaneous generation was considered a plausible

explanation on the origin of life because of the validity of his argument through a well-
documented, coherent, and logical way of explanation. Also, the quality of his evidence had the
power to convince and influence both scientists and experts to correspond with his idea. Over-all,
the experiment is very enlightening and educational, a reader would have understood easily and
clearly the subject about spontaneous generation. Pasteurs experimentation had truly served as
an eye-opener to reexamine the seemingly superstitious idea that organic life can generate
spontaneously out of inorganic material.