The Germ Theory of Disease The Germ Theory

The Germ Theory of Disease

The Germ Theory of Disease • Important early microbiologists helped to develop the Germ Theory – Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (1670’s) – Ignaz Semmelweis (1840’s) – Louis Pasteur (1860’s) – Joseph Lister (1860’s) – Robert Koch (1870’s) – Alexander Fleming (1920’s)

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek • Dutch • Often called “The Father of Microbiology” • Had an interest in science but was not scientifically trained

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek • Worked as an apprentice in a dry goods store where he inspected cloth (counted threads) for quality.

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek – Developed new methods for grinding and polishing lenses to increase magnification – Created microscopes that could magnify up to 300 x – the strongest of the time

• Making a microscope… http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=7 zjh. VNv. R_r Q&feature=related

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek • First to see and describe bacteria (1674) – 1675:

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek – 1680:

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek – 1681:

Anton van Leeuwenhoek • What was going on in Anton’s world? – 1666 – – 1666 -1678 –

• “ My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise that I now enjoy, but chiefly from craving after knowledge, which I notice reside in me more than in other men. And therewithal, whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof” – Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Letter of June 12, 1716