Sterilization (microbiology)

Sterilization (microbiology)

Sterilization (/stɛrɪlɪˈzeɪʃən/) is a term used in Microbiology to describe the 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 "unable to produce offspring".

Methods of Sterilization

There are many methods to achieve sterilization. They include heat, chemicals, irradiation, high pressure, and filtration. These methods work by killing the organism or inactivating the organism. For example, heat sterilization is often used in the medical field to sterilize medical instruments and disposable medical items.

Heat Sterilization

Heat sterilization is a common method used in microbiology. It involves the use of high temperatures to kill or deactivate organisms. This can be done through dry heat or moist heat.

Chemical Sterilization

Chemical sterilization uses chemical agents to kill or deactivate organisms. These chemicals can include ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, and glutaraldehyde.

Irradiation Sterilization

Irradiation sterilization uses ionizing radiation to kill or deactivate organisms. This can include gamma rays, X-rays, and electron beams.

High Pressure Sterilization

High pressure sterilization uses high pressures to kill or deactivate organisms. This is often used in the food industry to sterilize food products.

Filtration Sterilization

Filtration sterilization uses a physical barrier to remove organisms from a fluid.

Related Terms

• Disinfection
• Antisepsis
• Sanitization
• Pasteurization
• Decontamination

See Also

• Microorganism
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Fungi
• Prion
• Spore

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Sterilization (microbiology)
• Wikipedia's article - Sterilization (microbiology)

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