Ace the Texas Registered Sanitarian Challenge 2025 – Spark Your Path to Clean Success!

Sterilization is defined as the process of killing all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, which are among the most resistant forms of life. This process is critical in settings such as healthcare and laboratories, where the risk of infection or contamination must be minimized.

The technique can be achieved through various methods, including heat (steam under pressure, dry heat), chemicals (ethylene oxide), or radiation. Unlike disinfection, which may only reduce the number of pathogens to a safe level, sterilization ensures that no viable microorganisms remain. This is particularly important in procedures involving surgical instruments or microbiological media where complete eradication of pathogens is imperative for safety and efficacy.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects of microbial control or cleanliness, but they do not encompass the comprehensive scope of sterilization defined by the total destruction of all microorganisms. Disinfecting surfaces or cleaning with soap are important practices but do not fulfill the criteria for sterilization, which requires a higher level of efficacy.