Multiple choice Directions: In which year given discovery/invention was made: Germ Theory 1858 1782 1867 1882 Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself A Correct answer Explanation The germ theory of disease, which states that microorganisms cause many diseases, was developed by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch in the late 1850s and 1860s. The year 1858 marks a key period in its formulation.