BIOL 3200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Endospore, Disinfectant, Asepsis
Document Summary
Exposing food, clothing, and bedding to sunlight. General considerations in microbial control: four possible outcomes of microbial control outside the body: Sterilization: the destruction of all microbial life. Disinfection: destroys most microbial life, reducing contamination on inanimate surfaces. (cleaning lab desktops) The same as disinfection, but on a living surface. (brushing teeth, using mouthwash, showering) The mechanical removal of most microbes from an animate or inanimate surface. (scrubbing dishes) Relative resistance of microbial forms: primary targets of microbial control: Microorganisms capable of causing infection or spoilage. Constantly present in the external environment and on the human body. Often contains mixtures of microbes: bacterial endospores: (120 degrees c) Destruction of endospores is the goal of sterilization. Any process that will kill endospores will invariably kill less resistant microbial forms. Other methods of control (disinfection, antisepsis) act on microbes that are less hardy than endospores. Sterilization: a process that destroys or removes all viable microorganisms, including viruses.
