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Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that affects mammals - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 25 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 25
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that affects mammals. In 1880 Louis Pasteur investigated dogs that were suffering from rabies in order to find the cause. He b... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that affects mammals - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 25 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Why was Pasteur NOT able to observe the rabies virus?
Answer
Light microscopes are limited in their ability to resolve very small structures, such as viruses, due to their size. The rabies virus is significantly smaller than the wavelength of visible light, which prevents it from being directly observed under a light microscope.
Step 2
Explain why Pasteur needed to identify and culture the microorganism in order to meet the scientific standards for establishing the cause of rabies.
Answer
To establish the cause of rabies scientifically, Pasteur needed to identify the specific microorganism responsible for the disease. According to Koch's postulates, he had to demonstrate that the microorganism was present in all cases of the disease, could be isolated from the infected host, and could cause the disease when introduced into a healthy subject. By culturing the microorganism, he would establish a direct link between it and rabies, thus meeting the scientific standards for causation. This identification would also allow for potential treatment or prevention methods to be developed.