Which experimental design could be used to support Redi's hypothesis that maggots come from flies?

The hypothesis proposed by Redi was that maggots originate from flies rather than spontaneously generating from the meat itself. To support this hypothesis through experimental design, covering the meat with gauze serves an important purpose. When the meat is covered with gauze, it allows air to circulate, but prevents flies from laying their eggs on the meat. If no maggots appear on the meat in the gauze-covered condition, it supports the idea that flies are the source of maggots, solidifying the relationship between the two.

In contrast, leaving the meat exposed to air, without any barrier, would likely allow flies to access the meat to lay their eggs. This would make it challenging to determine whether the maggots came from flies or if they were a result of spontaneous generation, therefore not effectively supporting Redi's hypothesis. Heating the meat serves a different purpose, potentially killing any existing eggs or larvae, but would not demonstrate the relationship between flies and maggots. Finally, having no cover on the meat does not provide any controlled condition to substantiate the hypothesis effectively because it does not restrict the potential for fly activity. Thus, covering the meat with gauze is the design that would best support Redi's hypothesis by allowing for controlled