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Aristotle
Aristtole believed that there was no real boundary between 'living" and "nonliving".He believed that non-living matter could rise to living things because our universe possesses somevital life force or soul, "anima", which could "animate" non-living matter. This helped lead to the belief of spontanous generation because it made people think that stuff like that was actually possible. With today's technology, we know that Aristotle was completely incorrect when he came up with this theory. -
Zacharias Janssen invents the compund microscpe
Zacharias Janssen, along with his father Hans, invented the compund microscope in 1590. It was an important advance from single lens magnification. This miscroscope was capable of magnifying images approximately three times when fully closed and up tp ten times when extended to the maximum. It helped reject the idea of spontaneous generation because it made studing cells possible. -
Jan Baptist van Helmont
Jan Baptist van Helmont was a strong believer in abiogenisis. His belief in this led him to think that if you mix a dirty shirt with several wheat grains, it will produce adult mice after twenty one days. This theory led to the belief of spontaneous generation because it made people consider the idea of making animals out of things that are not cells. Later, people will eventually find out from Theodor Schwann that animals are made of cells. -
Robert Hooke Invents the Cell
Robert Hooke made the first observation of tiny structures that are the building blocks of life by using a microscope. He called these tiny structures cells. His invention of the cell helped reject spontaneous generation because it was a perfect scientific explanation that explained what all living things are made of. Today, we still use this theory of cells. Without Robert Hooke's theory, we might not be as advanced with cells as what we are today. -
Anton van Leewenhoek observes Bacteria and Protozoa
Anton van Leewenhoek was the first person to observe bacteria and protozoa. His observations helped lay the foundations for the sciences of bacteriology and protozoology, therefore he helped reject the idea of spontaneous generation. -
Lorenz Oken
Lorenz Oken believed that the vertebrate's skull formed gradually from the fusion of the vertebrae. This theory was later proved incorrect, it prepared a receptive atmosphere for Charles Darwin's thoery of evolution. Even though his theory was incorrect, I would still say it led to the rejection of spontaneous generaton because it opened a window for the later correct theory of evolution made by Darwin. -
Theodor Schwann Defines the Cell as the Basic Unit of the Animal Structure
Theodor Schwann says that all animals are made up of cells. This idea helped lead to the rejection of spontaneous rejection because it ruled out all other possibilities of what animals are made out of. Even in the cell theory today, it states that all living things are made up of cells. Schwann helped contribute to this theory in 1836 by stating that all animals are made of cells. -
Matthias Schleiden Establishes Plant Cells
In 1838, Matthias Schleiden states that the different parts of a plant organism are composed of cells or derivatives of cells. He also recognized the importance of the cell nucleus and sensed its connection with cell division. Schleiden's theory helped reject spontaneous generation because it was a clear expantation as to why plants are the way they are. It was so scientifically correct, that it is still used in the cell theory today. -
Robert Brown
Robert Brown recognized and named the nucleus as a constant constituent of living cells in most plants. This theory helped reject the belief of spontaneous generation because it is scientifically proven and is still used today. -
Albrecht von Roelliker
Albrecht von Roelliker established that sperm cells and egg cells are cells.Today, we still go by this concept, therfore it helped reject the idea of spontaneous generation. -
Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow invented the modetn concept of pathological processes by his application of the cell theory. He did this to explain the effects of diseases in the organs and tissues of the body. He greatly emphasized that disease does not come from these organs or tissues, but primarily from the individual cells. This concept helped reject spontaneous generation and is still used today. Without this theory, we may be less medically advanced. -
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur discovered that microorganims cause fermentation and disease. We still use this concept today. Also, he origniated the process of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process that destroys pathogenic microorganims in certain foods and beverages. We commonly use this as well today. Both of these concepts reject the idea of spontaneous generatin because they have been proven to be correct.
