Chapter 9 Flashcards
Sterilization does not apply to prions which are infectious proteins because?
Standard sterilization techniques do not destroy them
In practical terms, sterilization indicates only the?
Eradication (complete destruction of something) of harmful microorganisms and viruses ; some innocuous microbes may still be present & viable in an environment that is considered sterile
Does commercial sterilization of canned foods kill all hyperthermophilic microbs?
No, however, because they do not cause disease & they cannot grow & spoil food at ambient temperatures, they are of no practical concern
An environment or procedure free of contamination by pathogens
Aseptic
Vegetables & fruit juices are available in _______ packaging, & surgeons & lab technicians use _______ techniques to avoid contaminating a surgical field or lab equipment
Aseptic
Refers to the use of physical or chemical agents known as _______, including ultraviolet light, heat, alcohol, and bleach, to inhibit or destroy microorganisms, especially pathogens
Disinfection
disinfectants
Unlike sterilization, disinfections does not guarantee that?
All pathogens are eliminated, indeed disinfectants alone cannot inhibit endospores or some viruses
The term disinfection is only used when?
In reference to treatment of inanimate objects, when a chemical is used on skin or other tissue, the process is called antisepsis
The term disinfection is only used when?
In reference to treatment of inanimate objects, when a chemical is used on skin or other tissue, the process is called antisepsis, and the chemical is called an antiseptic
Though chemicals such as soap or alcohol are common during degerming, the action of?
Thoroughly scrubbing the surface may be more important than the chemical in removing microbes
Steam, high-pressure hot water, & scrubbing are used to?
Sanitize restaurant utensils and dishes, & the chemicals are used to sanitize public toilets
The difference between disinfecting dishes at home and sanitizing dishes in a restaurant is the?
Arena, private verses public in which the activity takes place
There are two major types of microbial control
Sterilization, which is the elimination of all microbes; and antisepsis or disinfection, which each denote the destruction of vegetative (non spore) cells & many viruses
Chemical agents that destroy pathogenic microorganisms in general
Germicides
Define microbial death
The permanent loss of reproductive ability under ideal environmental conditions
One technique for evaluating the efficacy of an antimicrobial agent is to calculate the microbial death rate which is?
Usually found to be constant over time for any particular microorganism under a particular set of conditions
Describe how to evaluate the efficacy of an antimicrobial agent by calculating the microbial death rate
A scientist treats a broth containing 1 billion (10 to the 9th) microbes with an agent that kills 90% of them in 1 minute. The most susceptible cells die first, leaving 100 million (10 to the 8th) hardier cells after the first minute. After another minute of treatment, another 90% die leaving 10 million (10 to the 7th) cells that have even greater resistance to and require longer exposure to the agent before they die.
There are many types of chemical & physical microbial controls, but their modes of action fall into two basic categories
1) Those that disrupt the integrity of cells by adversely altering their cell walls or cytoplasmic membranes
2) Those that interrupt cellular metabolism & reproduction by interfering with the structures of proteins & nucleic acids
Describe how alteration of cell walls and membranes is a mode for microbial control
Beneath a cell wall is a cytoplasmic membrane which acts as a bag that contains the cytoplasm & it controls the passage of chemicals into and out of the cell. Extensive damage to a membranes proteins or its phospholipids by any physical or chemical agent allows the cellular contents to leash out and if it’s not immediately repaired it will cause death
Describe the alteration of cell walls and membranes is a mode for microbial control for enveloped viruses
The envelope is a membrane composed of proteins & phospholipids that is responsible for the attachment of the virus to its target cell; thus when damage happens to the envelope by physical or chemical agents it fatally interrupts viral replication. The lack of an envelope in non enveloped viruses accounts for their greater tolerance of harsh environmental conditions, including antimicrobial agents
Describe the damage to proteins and nucleic acids which is a mode that antimicrobal agents use
A proteins function depends on an exact three-dimensional shape, which is maintained by hydrogen & disulfide bonds between amino acids. When these bonds are broken by extreme heat or certain chemicals, the proteins shape changes. These denatured proteins cease to function, bringing cellular death. Chemicals, radiation & heat can alter and even destroy nucleic acids. Since genes of a cell/virus are composed of nucleic acids disruption of these molecules can produce fatal mutations
Describe how antimicrobial agents can interfere with protein synthesis
The portion of a ribozyme that catalyzes the synthesis of proteins is a ribozyme (an enzymatic enzyme) so physical or chemical agents that interfere with nucleic acids also stop protein synthesis
Temp. & pH affect microbial death rates & the efficacy of antimicrobial methods. Warm disinfectants generally work better than cool ones because?
Chemicals react faster at higher temps.
Acidic conditions enhance the antimicrobial effect of heat. Some chemical disinfectants, such as household chlorine bleach are more effective at?
Low pH
Why is it important to clean objects before sterilization or disinfection?
Organic materials like fat, feces, vomit, blood and the intercellular secretions in biofilms interferes w/the penetration of heat, chemicals & some forms of radiation . In some cases these materials inactivate chemical disinfectants.
Why is it important to clean objects before sterilization or disinfection so that antimicrobial agents can thoroughly contact all the objects surfaces?
Organic materials like fat, feces, vomit, blood and the intercellular secretions in biofilms interferes w/the penetration of heat, chemicals & some forms of radiation . In some cases these materials inactivate chemical disinfectants.
A phenol coefficient greater than 1.0 indicates that?
An agent is more effective than phenol, and the larger the ratio the greater the effectiveness
Heat can be used for sterilization (all cells & viruses are deactivated) or for commercial preparation of canned goods. In commercial sterilization what happens?
Hyperthermophilic prokaryotes remain viable but are harmless because they can’t grow at the normal (room) temp. in which canned foods are stored
lowest temp. that kills all cells in a broth in 10 minutes
Thermal death point
The time it takes to completely sterilize a particular volume of liquid at a set temperature
Thermal death time
Time required to destroy 90% of the microbes in a sample
Decimal reduction time (D). Researchers calculate this when measuring the effectiveness of heat sterilization. This concept is useful to food processors because they must heat foods to eliminate all endospores of Clos. botulinum which could germinate & produce botulism toxin inside sealed cans
The standard in food processing is to apply heat such that a population of 10 to the 12th pwr C. botulinum endospores is reduced to?
10 to the 0 pwr (that is 1) endospore which leaves only a small change that the can of food contains an endospore
Moist heat is commonly used to?
Disinfect, sanitize, sterilize, and pasteurize, kills cells by denaturing proteins & destroying cytoplasmic membranes
Moist heat is more effective in microbial control than dry heat because?
Water is a better conductor of heat than air. Example, you can safely stick into an oven at 350 degrees F for a few moments but putting it into boiling water at the lower temperature of 212 degrees F would severely burn you