Pasteur, Louis

Pasteur, Louis

(1822–95) French bacteriologist who was effectively the founder of microbiology as a science. He put forward the theory that disease was caused by microorganisms and established that SPONTANEOUS GENERATION does not occur. He established that inoculation with attenuated forms (see ATTENUATION of microorganisms provided immunization against virulent forms, and showed that rabies was caused by microscopic agents which could not be seen, so leading to the discovery of viruses. He introduced heat treatment to destroy microorganisms in perishable products such as milk (see PASTEURIZATION).

Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

Pasteur,

Louis, French chemist and bacteriologist, 1822-1895.

Pasteurella

Pasteurella aerogenes - species found in swine that can cause human wound infections following a pig bit.

Pasteurella multocida - bacterial species associated with dogs and cats.

Pasteurella pestis - Synonym(s): Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Pasteurella "SP" - a rarely encountered organism that can cause infection after a guinea pig bite

Pasteurella tularensis - Synonym(s): Francisella tularensis

Pasteur effect - the inhibition of fermentation by oxygen, first observed by Pasteur.

Pasteur pipette - a cotton-plugged, glass tube drawn out to a fine tip, used for the sterile transfer of small volumes of fluid.

Pasteur vaccine

pasteurellosis - infection with bacteria of Pasteurella.

pasteurization - bacteria destruction process.

pasteurizer - pasteurization apparatus.

Medical Eponyms © Farlex 2012