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Pasteur's Experiments on Spontaneous Generation definitions

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  • Louis Pasteur

    A French chemist from the 1800s who designed experiments that disproved the idea that life arises from nonliving matter.
  • Swan Neck Flask

    A specialized glass container with a long, curved neck that prevents airborne microbes from reaching the broth inside.
  • Spontaneous Generation

    A disproven theory claiming that living organisms can arise from nonliving material without preexisting life.
  • Biogenesis

    A scientific principle stating that all living things originate only from other living things.
  • Microbial Growth

    The increase in number of microorganisms, observable when microbes are introduced into a suitable environment.
  • Sterile Broth

    A nutrient-rich liquid that has been boiled to eliminate all living microbes, preventing contamination.
  • Contamination

    The unintended introduction of microbes or particles into a sterile environment, often leading to microbial growth.
  • Dust

    Tiny airborne particles that can carry microbes, often trapped by the curved neck of specialized flasks.
  • Airborne Microbes

    Microscopic organisms present in the air, capable of causing contamination if not blocked.
  • Sterilization

    A process involving heat to destroy all forms of microbial life in a substance or on an object.
  • Curved Neck

    A structural feature of certain flasks that traps particles and microbes, allowing only air to pass through.
  • Preexisting Microbes

    Microorganisms already present in the environment, responsible for initiating new microbial life.
  • Upright Position

    The orientation of a flask that ensures trapped microbes remain separated from the sterile broth.
  • Tilting

    An action that mixes trapped microbes with sterile broth, resulting in observable microbial growth.
  • Sterile Environment

    A setting free from all living microorganisms, maintained to prevent contamination and microbial growth.