What is the Germ Theory of Disease?
Q: What is the Germ Theory of Disease?
A: The Germ Theory of Disease is a theory in biology that states that small organisms, also known as microbes, cause some diseases. These diseases are called infectious diseases and they cause a reaction in the body of those who are infected.
Q: What did people believe caused disease before the invention of the microscope?
A: Before the invention of the microscope, people believed that "bad air" from stinky trash dumps and rotting meat was the cause of diseases. People thought that covering their mouth and nose with a cloth would help filter out the "bad air." Scientists and doctors would use garlic and perfumes to ward off this bad air.
Q: What is abiogenesis?
A: Abiogenesis is an old theory which states that living things can spontaneously generate from small specks or pieces of matter such as rotting meat or other organic material.
Q: Who discovered that flies lay eggs which become maggots?
A: Francesco Redi (February 18, 1626 – March 1, 1697) discovered that flies lay eggs which become maggots through experiments he conducted involving sealed jars containing meat.
Q: How did scientists prove that diseases do not come from polluted air?
A: Scientists proved that diseases do not come from polluted air by conducting experiments which showed how germs spread infection rather than being caused by bad air or spontaneous generation.
Q: What type of reaction does a person's body have when it is infected with germs?
A: When a person's body is infected with germs, it has an immune response known as a disease.
