Who is renowned for speculating that sperm provides essential life-giving properties?

• A. Louis Pasteur
• B. Antoine van Leeuwenhoek
• C. Gregor Mendel
• D. Charles Darwin

Answer: (B)

The correct answer is Antoine van Leeuwenhoek. He is renowned for being one of the first to observe sperm under a microscope and proposed the idea that it contains vital components for life. His work laid critical groundwork in the study of microbiology and reproductive biology during the 17th century, providing insights that changed how scientists understand the role of sperm in the generation of new life.

Louis Pasteur is primarily known for his contributions to microbiology, particularly his work on pasteurization and the germ theory of disease, rather than the specifics of sperm and reproduction. Gregor Mendel is celebrated for his foundational research in genetics, specifically the principles of inheritance, but he did not focus on sperm or its life-giving properties. Charles Darwin is famed for the theory of evolution by natural selection and his research on species adaptation rather than the biological role of sperm in reproduction. Each of these scientists contributed immensely to their respective fields, but van Leeuwenhoek's observation and speculation about sperm directly aligned with your question.