Answer to Question #317477 in Microbiology for Emily

Question

Briefly discuss the main contributions made by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch in the development of modern day microbiology.

Answer 1

Pasteur published his germ theory, proving that microorganisms were the source of disease. Robert Koch in Germany took up this notion and began isolating the specific bacteria that caused diseases like tuberculosis and cholera. Koch was the first to recognise that antibodies could aid in the destruction of bacteria and the development of disease immunity. In France, however, Pasteur was the first to develop vaccines since Jenner, with vaccines for chicken cholera, anthrax, and rabies.