Investigate the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur to explain the causes and transmission of infectious diseases

Question 1

Louis Pastures overview

Answer 1

Louis Pasteur discovered that microorganisms, or germs, caused most infectious diseases. This became known as germ theory of disease. In his research on fermentation, he examined samples from fermenting wines under the microscope and identified and described the microorganisms that cause fermentation. His demonstration that living organisms are present in the air disproved the theory of spontaneous generation.

Question 2

Robert Koch overview

Answer 2

Robert Koch performed experiments that proved Pasteur’s germ theory of disease. He extracted the anthrax bacillus and cultured it. He then used the culture to infect other animals. Which then developed the disease. Koch’s postulates were developed from Koch’s work on anthrax. The are a set of conditions that must be achieved to prove that a particular microbe causes a disease.

Question 3

Koch’s postulates

Answer 3

(P.athogen must be present) Step 1: The suspect Organism must be present in infected organisms.
(I.solated) Step 2: A pure culture is required (Have to do the agar plate twice)
(S.econd host + same signs and symptoms) Step 3: A healthy organism must be inoculated with the pure culture and the potential host must develop the same symptoms.
(S.uspect organism must be re-isolated)Step 4: The suspect organism must be re-isolated, re-culture and identified as the organism used for inoculation