Question

A microbiology student was inspired by Louis Pasteur's swanneck flask experiment, he was interested in repeating this experiment using hay infusion instead of Nutrient broth. He placed a few strands of dried grass in a swan-neck flask containing sugar solution, drawn the neck into a swan neck, and then boiled it for 30 minutes. After 3 days of incubation at room temperature he noticed bacterial growth in the flask. To ensure sterility of the flask he kept the flask upright for the entire time of the experiment.
Does this experiment support spontaneous generation? If not, how would you explain the growth of bacteria in the swan neck flask?

Answer 1

Louis Pasteur's 1859 experiment is widely seen as having settled the question of spontaneous generation. He boiled a meat broth in a swan neck flask; the bend in the neck of the flask prevented falling particles from reaching the broth, while still allowing the free flow of air.