Group 7: Germ Theory
Tristan Roman, Joe Needham, Katie Carfagno
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Germ Theory
Being Discussed:
Ignaz Semellweis
Louis Pasteur
Robert Koch
Joseph Lister
Alexander Fleming
What is the Germ Theory?
• Lead scientists to conclude that infectious diseases were cause by
microorganisms.
• Also known as germs.
What is the Germ Theory?
• The scientists work opened the doors to research into the identification of
disease.
• Coming up with potential life-saving treatments.
Ignaz Semmelweis
• Was a physician.
• Work demonstrated a way that could drastically reduce the number of
women's death after child birth
• By washing your hands.
Ignaz Semmelweis
•
•
•
•
Ignaz figured out what the problem was.
Introduced rigorous handwashing rules.
Death after childbirth was drastically reduced.
Became known as the "Savior of the Mothers"
Louis Pasteur
• Was not actually very smart during early years of school
• Took hard classes and pushed himself to get smarter
• Began the study of disease later in life
Louis Pasteur
• Invented pasteurization
• Suffered a back stroke and was paralyzed but continued research
• Created vaccinations for anthrax and rabies
Robert Koch
• Was a German physician
• Was a microbiologist
• Helped develop chemicals to fight bacteria
Robert Koch
• Helped build on Pasteur's work on the germ theory
• Proved that bacterium causes Anthrax
• Helped develop a way to stain bacteria
Joseph Lister
• Introduced new principles of cleanliness which transformed surgical
practice in the late 1800's
• Did not discover new drugs
• Called the 'father of antiseptic surgery' because he discovered that there was
a major lack of cleanliness in hospitals which made people more sick
Joseph Lister
• In 1865, he learned of Louis Pasteur's theory that microorganisms cause
infection
• Using phenol as an antiseptic, he reduced the mortality rate in his ward to
15% within four years
Alexander Fleming
• known for discovering the enzyme lysozyme in 1923
• also known for discovering the antibiotic substance benzyl penicillin
(penicillin G) in 1928
Alexander Fleming
• Discovered the worlds first antibiotic bacteria killer
• Scottish biologist
• Discovered benzyl penicillin (an antibiotic)
Conclusion
• These men all had amazing ideas and changed the world significantly.
• They all had incredible contributions that made the world a better place
• Many lives were saved and many sicknesses were avoided because of the
hard work that all of these men put in.