'''Koch's postulates''' are a set of broad [[principle]]s laid out by Robert Koch in the 1880's. They are the basic criteria for determining what is and is not an infectious [[disease]] in [[plant]]s, [[animal]]s, and [[human]]s. Because they are at the level of [[philosophy]] of [[science]], they can be applied to [[Virus|viral]], [[bacteria]]l, or [[parasite]]-caused infection theories. Though aspects of the principles were not original, Robert Koch provided an experimental basis for these principles that was very convincing to the scientists of his day. | '''Koch's postulates''' are a set of broad [[principle]]s laid out by Robert Koch in the 1880's. They are the basic criteria for determining what is and is not an infectious [[disease]] in [[plant]]s, [[animal]]s, and [[human]]s. Because they are at the level of [[philosophy]] of [[science]], they can be applied to [[Virus|viral]], [[bacteria]]l, or [[parasite]]-caused infection theories. Though aspects of the principles were not original, Robert Koch provided an experimental basis for these principles that was very convincing to the scientists of his day. |