Question

It may seem obvious to people living in the modern world that disease is caused by germs or pathogens, but germ theory took centuries to be developed and accepted. Germ theory proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases. This theory was highly controversial when it was first proposed, but it is now a cornerstone of modern medicine. Before germ theory, the view was that disease was spontaneously generated. This ancient view of the cause of disease was first published more than 2,000 years ago. Spontaneous generation was first questioned in 1546, when girolamo fracastoro proposed that diseases could be transferred from person to person through small things like seeds. Germ theory was also supported by the observations of anton van leeuwenhoek, who first examined pond water under a microscope and identified microorganisms. Other scientists, such as louis pasteur, added more evidence to the growing support for germ theory and led to innovations that changed human society, such as antibiotics. What is one reason why germ theory was controversial when it was first proposed? (sc. 912. N. 1. 1)

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Before germ theory, people didn't know that tiny germs or microorganisms could make them sick. They thought diseases just appeared out of nowhere. But then, some scientists started to believe that these tiny germs might be the cause of diseases. Hence why the idea was called germ theory. When germ theory was first proposed, many people found it hard to accept because it was very different from what they believed before. They thought that diseases were just spontaneous, meaning they happened without any specific cause. So, the idea that tiny germs were causing diseases seemed strange and even unbelievable to them.

Imagine if you told someone that tiny invisible creatures were making them sick. They might not believe you because they can't see those creatures. That's similar to how people reacted to germ theory at first. It took a long time for people to accept germ theory because they needed more evidence and proof. Scientists like Girolamo Fracastoro and Anton van Leeuwenhoek made important discoveries that supported germ theory. For example, Leeuwenhoek looked at water from ponds under a special microscope and saw tiny living things moving around. This helped show that microorganisms exist and can cause diseases. Over time, more and more evidence piled up, and people started to accept germ theory. It led to important advancements like antibiotics, which help us fight off infections and stay healthy. In other words, germ theory was controversial when it was first proposed is that it went against what people believed for a long time, and it took a lot of convincing and evidence to change their minds.