Spontaneous generation is the idea that life can emerge from nonliving matter. Spontaneous
many in the scientific community up until the mid-nineteenth century. A series of simple experiments tested the validity of
this idea. Evidence used to
support spontaneous generation was the observation that foods over time became covered in maggots or fungal and
bacterial growth, implying that these just appeared." The inference behind spontaneous generation is that there is no
"parent" organism
In 1668, Francesco Redi proposed a different hypothesis to explain the specific example of maggots that appeared on spoiled
food. Explain how Redi disproved the idea of spontaneous generation and helped contribute to the idea that cells come from pre-
existing cells.
A)
B)
Redi reasoned that maggots appeared after meat spoiled, breaking down
the rotten meat
Redi reasoned that flies laid eggs on meat, so meat kept away from adult
flies would remain free of maggots
Redi reasoned that meat had to be exposed to air for maggots to appear.
Meat not exposed to air would remain free from maggots.
Redi reasoned that maggots emerged from condensation. As long as the
meat was kept from water sources, there would be no maggots.
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D)