Swan neck flask experiment proved :

Options

A. biogenesis
B. abiogenesis
C. special creation
D. both (1) and (2)

Answer

**Step-by-Step Text Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Question**: The question asks what the Swan Neck Flask experiment proved.

2. **Background Knowledge**: Before the experiment, there were two main theories regarding the origin of life:
- **Spontaneous Generation (Autogenesis)**: This theory suggested that life could arise spontaneously from non-living matter.
- **Biogenesis**: This theory posits that life arises from pre-existing life.

3. **The Experiment**: The Swan Neck Flask experiment was conducted by Louis Pasteur. He used long-necked flasks filled with broth. The necks of the flasks were bent in a way that allowed air to enter but prevented dust and microorganisms from contaminating the broth.

4. **Procedure**:
- Pasteur boiled the broth in the flasks to kill any existing microorganisms.
- He observed the flasks over time. The broth remained clear and free of life as long as the necks were intact.

5. **Results**:
- When the necks of the flasks were broken, dust and microorganisms could enter, and life began to appear in the broth.
- This demonstrated that microorganisms came from the air and did not spontaneously generate in the broth.

6. **Conclusion**: The results of the experiment supported the theory of biogenesis, which states that life arises from pre-existing life. It disproved the theory of spontaneous generation (autogenesis) and provided evidence against the special creation theory.

7. **Final Answer**: The Swan Neck Flask experiment proved the principle of biogenesis.

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