Germ theory of disease

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/germ-theory-of-disease

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the historical context?Emerged in the mid-to-late 19th century, displacing the long-held miasma theory
2. What is the impact on practice?Revolutionized medicine through antiseptic techniques, sterilization, and vaccine development
3. What are germs and how do they make us sick?Tiny invisible critters called germs can make you sick. They spread from person to person or through dirty places.
4. Why did scientists change from the bad air idea to germs?Scientists saw that small particles, not bad air, caused illnesses. Experiments with Pasteur and Koch proved germs were the real cause.

Pathogen: A biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host.
Koch's Postulates: A set of four criteria used to establish a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease.
Antiseptic Surgery: Surgical procedures that minimize the risk of infection by using antimicrobial agents.
Antibiotic Resistance: The ability of bacteria or other microorganisms to resist the effect of an antibiotic.