The First Patent on a Living Organism was Granted In

Question

The first patent on a living organism was granted in
A) 1790, when the U.S. passed patent law.
B) 1873, for Louis Pasteur's use of yeast.
C) 1900, when Mendel's laws were rediscovered.
D) 1953, when Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA.
E) 1978, when modern biotechnology began with recombinant insulin.

Accepted Answer

The first patent on a living organism was granted in 1873 to Louis Pasteur for his method of using yeast to make beer, marking the first time a living organism was patented.