AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -According to the theory of spontaneous generation, living organisms can arise from non-living matter. Louis Pasteur disproved this theory and was awarded for the same.

Detailed explanation-2: -Experimentation by Francesco Redi in the 17th century presented the first significant evidence refuting spontaneous generation by showing that flies must have access to meat for maggots to develop on the meat.

Detailed explanation-3: -The prize was claimed in 1864 by Louis Pasteur, as he published the results of an experiment he did to disproved spontaneous generation in these microscopic organisms.

Detailed explanation-4: -And so first, what we have is Francesco Redi, who was an Italian scientist in the 1600s, who was the first scientist to challenge or attempt to disprove spontaneous generation. And he showed that fly eggs and maggots do not spontaneously generate from decaying meat.

Detailed explanation-5: -The first scientist to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation was Francesco Redi with his experiments with containers or rotting meat and maggots.