Germ Theory of Disease

Microbiology & Virology 1862 Featured

Discoverers: Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch

Overview

Establishment that specific microorganisms cause specific diseases, disproving spontaneous generation and founding modern microbiology and hygiene.

Significance

Transformed medicine by providing a rational basis for preventing and treating infectious diseases through sanitation, antisepsis, and vaccination.

Methodology

Pasteur's swan-neck flask experiments disproving spontaneous generation; Koch's postulates linking Bacillus anthracis to anthrax through isolation and re-infection.

Impact