Spontaneous generation theory, also known as abiogenesis, is the now-discredited idea that living organisms can arise from non-living matter under certain conditions. This theory was widely accepted in ancient times and remained popular until the 19th century, when experiments by scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that living organisms only come from pre-existing living organisms. The concept of spontaneous generation was finally debunked by the development of the germ theory of disease and advancements in microbiology.
