sterilisation Flashcards
what are the 4 ways of sterilisation?
heat sterilisation, radiation sterilisation, filter sterilisation, cold sterilisation
what is sterilisation?
the killing or removal of all viable organisms within a growth medium
what is inhibition?
effectively limiting microbial growth
what is decontamination?
the treatment of an object to make it safe to handle
what is disinfection?
directly targets the removal of all pathogen, not necessarily all microorganisms
what is the most widely used method of controlling microbial growth?
heat sterilisation
what are endospores?
resistant cells produced by bacteria
what is the method of heat sterilisation?
- red heat, flaming eg inoculating loop
- dry heat (hot air) eg glassware
- autoclaving: steam under pressure
what is an autoclave?
a sealed device that uses steam under pressure
what is pasteurisation?
the process of using precisely controlled heat to reduced the microbial load in heat-sensitive liquids
does pasteurisation kill all organisms?
no it does not kill all microorganisms
what is UV useful for?
useful for decontamination of surfaces, cannot penetrate solid
what are some sources of radiation?
cathode ray tube, X-rays and radioactive nuclides
is radiation used for sterilisation in the medical field and food industry in the uk?
no not in the uk
does filtration use heat?
no, filtration avoids the use of heat on sensitive liquids and gases
