Final answer:
The concept of spontaneous generation, which posits that living cells could arise from non-living matter, is an obsolete theory. Modern biology adheres to the principle of biogenesis, affirming that all living cells must originate from preexisting living cells, as substantiated by Cell Theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement regarding spontaneous generation is indeed false. Spontaneous generation is the outdated hypothesis that living organisms could arise from non-living matter. The modern understanding, as demonstrated by Louis Pasteur and supported by Cell Theory, is that all living cells arise only from preexisting living cells, a concept known as biogenesis. This was further supported by observations of mitosis and meiosis, the mechanisms of cell division in eukaryotes, which ensure continuity of life by producing new cells from existing ones.
While spontaneous generation suggested that life could spontaneously come into being from non-living substances, Louis Pasteur's experiments and the subsequent development of the Cell Theory have shown that life only comes from preexisting life. This foundational principle concludes that a 'first cell' would have to originate from a living precursor, not inanimate material, and through reproduction, these cells would give rise to all subsequent living organisms.