Final answer:
Microbes have developed strategies to survive in different environments. Chemicals, heat, cold, and radiation can inhibit or inactivate microbes. Pasteur's observations support the theory of biogenesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microbes have developed strategies that allow them to survive in a wide range of environments, both moderate and extreme. Some of these strategies include forming endospores that resist heat and drought, and having a cell wall that protects them in osmotic conditions. Bacteria, which are the most abundant life form on Earth, can adapt to various environmental conditions.
Chemicals, heat, cold, and radiation can be used to inhibit or inactivate microbes. Bacteria exhibit different susceptibilities to these agents, with Gram-positive bacteria being able to withstand higher heat and more radiation than Gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotics also have varying effects on microbial susceptibility.
Pasteur's observations support the theory of biogenesis, which states that living organisms arise from pre-existing living matter. His experiments disproved the theory of spontaneous generation, which proposed that life could spontaneously generate from non-living matter.