Final answer:
Pasteur's swan-necked flask experiment was instrumental in disproving spontaneous generation, showing that broth in the flask remained sterile unless the flask's neck was broken, allowing microorganisms to enter and cause contamination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Pasteur's Swan-Neck Flask Experiment
John Tyndall, while repeating Louis Pasteur's experiment with the swan-necked flask, occasionally observed microorganisms in the previously boiled broth, suggesting contamination. Pasteur's experiment was designed to disprove the theory of spontaneous generation. He used swan-necked flasks to boil broth and sterilize it. The unique shape allowed air but not microbes to enter due to the flask's twists and bends trapping airborne microorganisms. If the neck was intact, the broth remained sterile, but if it was broken, microorganisms could enter, leading to contamination and growth within the broth. This ultimately supported the germ theory of disease, indicating the role of microbes in contamination and infection.
Pasteur's design was crucial to prove that life did not spontaneously arise from non-living matter; instead, life forms from existing life, which he eloquently stated as "Omne vivum ex vivo" ("Life only comes from life"). Through these experiments, Pasteur was awarded and recognized, definitively refuting spontaneous generation.