Expert: Walter Hintz - 6/24/2004

Question
I remember studying this concept in biology class.  People used to think maggots formed directly from rotted meat, because they didn't realize the flies were causing them.  This gave rise to the rule that you can not get life from lifelessness.  What is the name of this rule, or perhaps the names of the scientists involved?

Thanks a lot!

Answer
 Hi jolene:
Spontaneous generation was the idea that life just suddenly appears. I don't know any rule disproving it but the concept was proven false first by Francisco Redi then Lozarro Spallanzani and finally by Loius Pasteur. Look each one up at google and you can see their experiments.