What crucial step did Martinus Beijerinck perform that went beyond Ivanovsky's initial filtration experiments?
Answer
He conducted serial passage and dilution experiments showing self-multiplication
Beijerinck replicated the filtration but then performed dilution experiments, showing that the infectious material retained infectivity even when highly diluted, proving it was actively multiplying, not just a persistent chemical toxin.
Related Questions
What infectious agent did Dmitry Ivanovsky initially suspect was causing tobacco mosaic disease?What specific type of filter did Ivanovsky use to separate the infectious agent from infected tobacco leaf extract?What critical observation led Ivanovsky to question the nature of the pathogen or the filter itself?What crucial step did Martinus Beijerinck perform that went beyond Ivanovsky's initial filtration experiments?What Latin phrase did Martinus Beijerinck propose to describe the novel infectious agent?Who is credited with coining the term 'virus' with its modern biological meaning?How did Ivanovsky's primary contribution differ conceptually from Beijerinck's?What structure was later discovered to be the chemical makeup of the tobacco mosaic agent?What scientific tool, developed decades later, finally allowed visualization of the particles Beijerinck characterized only by their effects?According to the understanding in the early 1890s, what size class of organisms were Chamberland filters designed to stop?