Sterilization (medicine)
Sterilization (medicine)
Sterilization (pronunciation: /ˌstɛrɪlɪˈzeɪʃən/) in the context of medicine refers to any process that eliminates, removes, kills, or deactivates all forms of life and other biological agents like fungi, bacteria, viruses, spore forms, prions, unicellular eukaryotic organisms such as Plasmodium, etc. present in a specified region, such as a surface, a volume of fluid, medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media.
Etymology
The term "sterilization" comes from the Latin word sterilis, meaning barren, unproductive, or incapable of producing offspring.
Types of Sterilization
There are several types of sterilization in medicine, including:
- Heat Sterilization: This involves the use of high temperatures to kill microorganisms. It includes methods like autoclaving, dry heat sterilization, and pasteurization.
- Chemical Sterilization: This involves the use of chemical agents to kill microorganisms. Examples include the use of ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen peroxide.
- Radiation Sterilization: This involves the use of ionizing radiation to kill microorganisms. It includes methods like gamma radiation and electron beam radiation.
- Filtration Sterilization: This involves the removal of microorganisms by passing the material or substance through a filter.
Related Terms
- Asepsis: A condition in which no living disease-causing microorganisms are present.
- Disinfection: The process of eliminating many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects.
- Antisepsis: The process of inhibiting or eliminating microorganisms on living tissues.
- Sanitization: The process of reducing the number of microorganisms to a safe level.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Sterilization (medicine)
- Wikipedia's article - Sterilization (medicine)
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