BIOL 2300 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Water Treatment, Stethoscope, Laboratory Glassware
Document Summary
Sterilization: removal or destruction of all microorganisms and viruses on or in a product. Destruction of a microorganism means it can"t come back or revive . Something that is sterile means that it contains no microbes including endospores/viruses. Sterile items can"t consider prions because they can"t be destroyed by standard sterilization procedures. Disinfection: is the elimination of most or all pathogens on or in a material. Some living microbes may remain unlike sterilization. Disinfectants: antimicrobial chemicals used for disinfecting organisms. They"re toxic so that makes them biocides. Typically used to target microorganisms and viruses so are also known as germicides. Antiseptics: are antimicrobial chemicals non-toxic enough that it can be used on skin and other tissues. Pasteurization: is a brief heat treatment that reduces the number of spoilage organisms and destroys pathogens. Food and inanimate objects can be pasteurized. Decontamination: is a process used to reduce the number of pathogens to a level considered safe to handle.
