![logo]()
One experiment conducted to challenge the idea of spontaneous generation was conducted by Francisco Redi. Many others had noticed that if a piece of food, such as rotting meat, was left out for several days, maggots would suddenly appear. This was assumed to be evidence of spontaneous generation.
Redi suspected the maggots were the result of eggs laid there by adult flies that landed on the food. He decided to place to jars out, each containing a piece of rotting meat. Over one jar, he added a gauze covering. He believed that the maggots were the result of eggs laid by flies that were entering and eating the meat.
After several days, the covered jar did not have any maggots inside. However, the uncovered jar did have maggots crawling over the meat.
Before Redi's experiment, what would have been his hypothesis?
Maggots spontaneously arose from rotting meat after several days
If a jar of food is protected from flies, maggots will not grow in it
Adult flies landed on uncovered food.
If two jars of meat are placed out, maggots will appear in each after several days 