What mistake did John Needham make that caused him to conclude that spontaneous generation for microorganisms occurred?
A)He failed to seal his flasks of boiled broth.
B)He allowed his assistant to conduct the experiment which he did not monitor closely.
C)He did not boil his broth solutions,only warmed them.
D)He re-contaminated his boiled broth solutions.
E)He destroyed the vital force in the solutions.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John Needham's mistake was that he re-contaminated his boiled broth solutions, which led him to incorrectly conclude that spontaneous generation occurred. After boiling, he did not properly seal the flasks, allowing microorganisms from the air to enter and grow in the broth.

What Mistake Did John Needham Make That Caused Him to Conclude