The Germ Theory

Detailed Notes on Germ Theory and Microbe Discoveries

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

• 1857: Employed to explain souring of sugar beet.

• 1861: Published Germ Theory, linking microbes to decay and disease.

• 1867: Demonstrated germs causing disease in silkworms.

Impact of Germ Theory

• Initially met with scepticism.

• Inspired Joseph Lister's antiseptics.

• Confirmed John Snow's cholera findings.

• Linked disease to poor living conditions, leading to the 1875 Public Health Act.

Robert Koch (1843-1910)

• Identified anthrax bacteria (1876) and others.

• Developed 'microbe hunting' technique.

• Used agar jelly, dyes, and photography for scientific methods.

Microscope Advancements

• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's microscope invention in the 17th century.

• Advanced microscopes in the 1800s for clearer images with less distortion.