Read the following Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion: The theory of spontaneous generation was widely accepted before Pasteur's experiments. Reason: Early Greek thinkers believed that life could come from non-living materials like straw and mud.

Step-by-step solution

The theory of spontaneous generation, which claimed that life could arise from non-living materials, was indeed widely accepted before Pasteur's experiments, but early Greek thinkers proposed the idea of life being transferred between planets, not directly supporting the theory of spontaneous generation.