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Radiatio Radiation Essay

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Physical agents, such as: Temperature, Desiccation, Osmotic pressure and Radiation. Temperature is very important factor that categorizes bacteria according to its adjustment to heat: psychrophiles, mesophiles, thermophiles and hyperthermophiles. Each bacterium has its own minimum, optimum and maximum temperature. If the temperature is below the minimum the effect becomes static, as it just slows down the metabolism rate. However, when it is above the maximum, the effect becomes cidal, as the proteins and enzymes of the cell are denatured. We can kill the vegetative cells and even endospore by using high temperature methods, like: Moist heating (used in the Autoclave or by boiling water); which is a very effective method used to kill endospores; because the moist heat can penetrate the many layers that protects the endospore. Dry heating (Hot Air Sterilization, Incineration and Pasteurization) which kill the bacteria by “Protein Oxidation”.(Rappocciolo, 2016) …show more content…

It is divided into two kinds of radiation: Ionizing Radiation and Ultraviolet Radiation. Ionizing radiation (gamma rays and x-rays) has more energy which increases the penetrating power. This kind of radiation ionizes water and other molecules to release free radical that damage the structure of DNA molecules and its proteins. U.V. radiation has lower wavelength which means lower energy. This radiation cannot penetrate surfaces, resulting in only damaging what’s on the surface of exposure. The longer the exposure the greater the cidal effect is. The most cidal wavelength is between 260-270 nm. This is absorbed by the nucleic acid of the microbial DNA which causes the formation of a covalent bond between the thymine bases on the same DNA strand (thymine-thymine dimers).(Rappocciolo,

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