Who is Louis Pasteur

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Louis Pasteur, World Renowned French Chemist and Biologist

Louis Pasteur made important contributions to the field of organic chemistry during the mid-1800s, developing various vaccines, including one for rabies, and disproving the theory of spontaneous generation. He is considered the founder of the field of microbiology, working with the germ theory of disease to establish and explain the causes for many diseases. See Louis Pasteur.

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A Glimpse of Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur (December 27, 1822 - September 28, 1895) was a French chemist best known for his remarkable breakthroughs in microbiology. His experiments confirmed the germ theory of disease, also reducing mortality from puerperal fever (childbed), and he created the first vaccine for rabies. He is best known to the general public for showing how to stop milk and wine from going sour - this process came to be called pasteurization. He is regarded as one of the three main founders of microbiology, together with Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch. He also made many discoveries in the field of chemistry, most notably the asymmetry of crystals.

Louis Jean Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in Dole in the Jura region of France and grew up in the town of Arbois. There he later had his house and laboratory, which is a Pasteur museum today. His father, Jean Pasteur, was a tanner and a veteran of the Napoleonic wars. Louis's aptitude was recognized by his college headmaster, who recommended that the young man apply for the École Normale Supérieure, which accepted him. After serving briefly as professor of physics at Dijon Lycée in 1848, he became professor of chemistry at Strasbourg University, where he met and courted Marie Laurent, daughter of the university's rector in 1849. They were married on May 29, 1849 and together they had five children, only two of whom survived to adulthood. Throughout his whole life, Louis Pasteur remained an ardent Catholic. A well-known quotation illustrating this is attributed to him: "I have the faith of a Breton peasant, and by the time I die I hope to have the faith of a Breton peasant's wife."

In Pasteur's early works as a chemist, he resolved a problem concerning the nature of tartaric acid (1849). A solution of this compound derived from living things (specifically, wine lees) rotated the plane of polarization of light passing through it. The mystery was that tartaric acid derived by chemical synthesis had no such effect, even though its reactions were identical and its elemental composition was the same. Upon examination of the minuscule crystals of Sodium ammonium tartrate, Pasteur noticed that the crystals came in two asymmetric forms that were mirror images of one another. For more, see Wikipedia, Louis Pasteur.

Louis Pasteur on Flickr

Many of the images have Louis Pasteur quotes associated with them, so click on the image and enjoy reading some great quotes!

sortie by gagilas
Dr. Pastuer [i.e., Pasteur] (LOC) by The Library of Congress
Louis Pasteur by randomduck
Bell Tower at Dusk (Woods Hole, MA) by takomabibelot
Portrait of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), Chemist by Smithsonian Institution
Mendel & Pasteur, Millfield Street (Woods Hole, MA) by takomabibelot
automatically generated by Flickr

Louis Pasteur, Preventing Disease

RABIES, 120 years after Pasteur. Part 1/3
by sanofipasteurTV | video info

8 ratings | 13,312 views
curated content from YouTube

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  • TransplantedSoul Mar 23, 2012 @ 11:24 am | delete
    Its funny that something that seems to common sense to us today was such a major breakthrough at the time.
  • bakerwoman Mar 29, 2011 @ 4:52 pm | delete
    When I think of Louis Pasteur, I think of pasteurized milk. What would we do without him.
    Thanks for sharing a lens on one of my favorite scientists.
  • Brendon Mar 4, 2010 @ 5:40 pm | delete
    For more great information on Pasteur, check out http://www.pasteurbrewing.com. This site has downloadable biographies and original works by Pasteur, mini-bios on Pasteur's colleagues and contemporaries, timeline, photos, beer recipes and more!
  • MrMarmalade Aug 22, 2008 @ 6:38 am | delete
    I must say he is one of my great medical heroes.
    He led the way to many creative skills.
    Thanks for a great lens
  • Retro_Loco Apr 22, 2008 @ 3:32 am | delete
    As a geek and science buff, I had to check out this lens! Great job on the lens, and a nice tribute to Pasteur....I'm sure he would be proud! :-)
  • ols Mar 27, 2008 @ 4:07 am | delete
    Pasteur`s work has proven vital in preventing disease due to his research work. Nice lens, well done.

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