Difference between revisions of "Spontaneous generation"
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| − | Spontaneous generation refers to the concept that animal forms are created by the decay of organic matter | + | '''Spontaneous generation''' refers to the concept that animal forms are created by the decay of organic matter |
<ref>http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio114/spontgen.htm</ref> | <ref>http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio114/spontgen.htm</ref> | ||
<ref>http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/Spontaneous_Generation.html</ref>. Common theories included: | <ref>http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/Spontaneous_Generation.html</ref>. Common theories included: | ||
Revision as of 12:59, September 18, 2007
Spontaneous generation refers to the concept that animal forms are created by the decay of organic matter [1] [2]. Common theories included:
- Moldy grain produces mice
- Rotten meat produces maggots
- Rotting garbage produces rats
Experiments in the 1600s through the 1800s discredited this idea. These experiments took the form of allowing meat to rot in sealed and semi-sealed containers (Francesco Redi, 1668), which demonstrated that maggots only formed in meat that flies laid eggs in; and by storing sterilized soup in bottles that prevented dust and bacteria from entering (Louis Pasteur, 1860).
Today, the term is frequently misused in creationist literature [3], and is used to obscure the concept of abiogenesis. Abiogenesis refers to a theorized event where a self-replicating chemical became self-replicating life.
References
- ↑ http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio114/spontgen.htm
- ↑ http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/Spontaneous_Generation.html
- ↑ Wile, Dr. Jay L. Exploring Creation With Biology. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998