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Germ Theory Facts & Worksheets

The Germ Theory of disease suggests that a microorganism causes certain diseases

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The Germ Theory of disease suggests that a microorganism causes certain diseases. Organisms are too small to be seen except through a microscope. It was developed by Robert Koch in the final decades of the 19th century by experimentation with anthrax.

See the fact file below for more information on Germ Theory or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Germ Theory worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • Germ Theory has proved that bacteria cause diseases. This idea was used by Robert Koch in Germany, who was the first to isolate the bacteria that caused common diseases, such as tuberculosis and cholera. Robert Koch was the first to recognize that antibodies could aid in the destruction of bacteria and the development of disease immunity.
  • During these experiments in the 1890s, Louis Pasteur, a French chemist, is credited with inventing the modern Germ Theory. He demonstrated that food spoils as a result of contamination by invisible microorganisms.

ALL ABOUT LOUIS PASTEUR

  • In 1861, he developed the Germ Theory.
  • Louis Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822, in Dole Jura, France. He was the third child of Jean-Joseph Pasteur and Jeanne-Etiennette Roqui. Pasteur died on September 28, 1895.
  • In his early years, he was an average student with an interest in fishing and drawing. In 1848, Pasteur was named Professor of Chemistry at the University of Strasbourg and named Chair of Chemistry in 1852.
  • He married Marie Laurent in 1849, the daughter of the rector of the University of Strasbourg, and she was his research assistant. They had five children together, but only three made it to adulthood.
  • Pasteur had been partially paralyzed since 1868 owing to a severe brain stroke, yet he was still able to work.
  • Pasteur was elected to the Académie de Médecine as an associate member in 1873. He decided to focus his attention on the problem of rabies in 1882, the year he was accepted into the Académie Française.
  • Pasteur vaccinated Joseph Meister, a 9-year-old kid who had been bitten by a rabid dog, on July 6, 1885.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE GERM THEORY

  • He detailed the traditional miasma hypothesis and attempted to incorporate it into his version of contagion theory. He claimed that diseases could be transmitted through the air, as well as by water and dirt.
  • Pasteur’s contributions to science, technology, and medicine are almost unprecedented in history.
  • Then, in 1847, Hungarian obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis made the first connection between puerperal fever and medical examinations of delivering women. 
  • While there are indications of germ theory magic behind germ theory arising earlier, this branch of medical research and theory took off in the 19th century.
  • As doctors frequently jumped from one activity to the next task, there were hygiene concerns. Dr. Semmelweis revolutionized sanitary conditions in his hospital.
  • The pasteurization experiment of Louis Pasteur demonstrates that particles in the air, rather than the air itself, cause liquid deterioration. These tests provided crucial evidence in support of the germ theory of illness.
  • Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist who developed vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization.
  • Pasteur established in the mid-to-late 19th century, that germs cause disease, and he discovered how to manufacture vaccines from weakened, or attenuated, microbes.
  • According to him, bacteria was the source of infection and disease. Before his discovery, scientists thought that living stuff (such as bugs and diseases) evolved from non-living species (like dust or dirt).
  • For many disorders, the germ theory of disease is the currently accepted scientific theory. It asserts that pathogens, or “germs,” are microorganisms that can cause disease. 
  • Several European scholars played a critical role in the creation of the Germ Theory. They are John Snow, Robert Koch, Ignaz Semmelweis, Joseph Lister, and Agostino Bassi .

John Snow

  • He was born on March 15, 1813, and was a pioneer in the development of anesthetic and medical hygiene in England. He is popularly known as the father of modern epidemiology and is well recognized for his key studies on cholera.

Agostino Bassi

  • He was an entomologist from Italy also known as de Lodi. Before Louis Pasteur’s theory, he was the first to realize that bacteria can cause diseases.

Ignaz Semmelweis

  • A Hungarian physician and scientist who was known as one of the early pioneers of antiseptics. Born on July 1, 1818, Semmelweis knew that hand disinfection in obstetrical clinics can significantly reduce the incidence of puerperal fever.
  • Only in retrospect were Semmelweis, Lister, and Snow recognized for their contributions and discoveries in the field of germ theory. 

Joseph Lister

  • Born in England on April 05, 1827. He was the first to apply germ theory science. During and after surgery he discovered a means to avoid infection in wounds.

ALL ABOUT ROBERT KOCH

Dr. Robert Koch

  • A German bacteriologist, born on December 11, 1843, in Clausthal, Hannover. 
  • He was a pioneer in microbiology’s golden period.
  • He autopsied about 100 bodies and discovered bacterial infections in each of them. 
  • The bacteria that cause anthrax, septicemia, tuberculosis, and cholera were identified by him, and his methods enabled others to identify many more significant diseases.
  • He developed advanced procedures for studying bacterial development on microscope slides and discovered that anthrax could create spores that survived desiccation but produced more bacteria when reintroduced to a damp environment.
  • He found the same bacteria in water tanks, establishing a relationship between the infection and its source. On the 7th of January 1884, he isolated the bacteria in pure culture.
  • In 1905, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on tuberculosis.
  • He noticed variances in virulence for various host species and demonstrated that the animal body is good equipment for bacterial culture.
  • Koch traveled to South Africa in 1896 to investigate the origins of rinderpest, and while he was unable to pinpoint the etiology of the disease, he was successful in slowing its spread by injecting bile from afflicted animals’ gall bladders into healthy farm animals.
  • His research on typhus led to the realization, followed by a fresh realization, that the disease is spread considerably more frequently from person to person than through drinking water, resulting in new control measures.

COMMON DISEASES AT THAT TIME

Anthrax Disease (1876) 

  • Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacteria, causes anthrax, a rare but dangerous infection. Livestock and wild wildlife are the most common victims of anthrax. Humans can become infected by coming into contact with ill animals, either directly or indirectly. 

Septicemia (1879-1880)

  • Septicemia is the medical term for bacterial blood poisoning. It is the body’s most severe reaction to infection. Depending on the type of organism involved, sepsis that develops into septic shock has a fatality rate of up to 50%.

Tuberculosis (1882)

  • Tuberculosis is a serious bacterial infection that targets the lungs and can attack other parts of the body. It is transmitted from person to person through tiny droplets discharged into the air from the infected person by coughing and/or sneezing.

Cholera (1883)

  • It is a severe diarrheal illness caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria infecting the intestine. When people consume cholera-contaminated food or water, they will be experiencing watery diarrhea that causes dehydration, and loss of electrolytes that may lead to death if untreated.

Germ Theory Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Germ Theory across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Germ Theory which was developed by Robert Koch in the final decades of the 19th century by experimentation with anthrax.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Germ Theory Facts 
  • All About Pasteur
  • European Scholars I
  • Germ Theory Timeline 
  • Germ Theory Figures
  • European Scholars II
  • Looking back
  • Robert Koch
  • Discovery
  • What Have You Learned?
  • Diseases Today

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Link will appear as Germ Theory Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 19, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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