Koch's postulates
Koch's Postulates are a set of criteria used to establish a causative link between a microorganism and a disease. They state that: (1) the microorganism should be found in abundance in sick individuals but not in healthy ones; (2) it must be isolated and grown in a laboratory; (3) it should cause the same disease when introduced to a healthy organism; and (4) it must be re-isolated from the newly infected host. These guidelines helped to identify pathogens and understand infectious diseases, laying the groundwork for medical microbiology and germ theory.
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Koch's postulates are a set of criteria established in the 19th century to identify the causes of infectious diseases. They state that a specific microorganism must be found in every case of the disease, it should be isolated and grown in pure culture, it must cause the disease when introduced to a healthy host, and it should be recoverable from the newly infected host. These principles laid the foundation for microbiology and are still relevant in understanding how pathogens are linked to diseases.