In practical terms in everyday use, which of the following statements provides the definition of sterilization?
- a. Sterilization eliminates organisms and their spores or endospores.
- b. Sterilization eliminates harmful microorganisms and viruses.
- c. Sterilization eliminates prions.
- d. Sterilization eliminates hyperthermophiles.
Introduction:
Sterilization is the method that eliminates, removes, kills, or deactivates all types of life and other agents related to biological perspective. It is a safe and highly effective and convenient method of removing organism.
Answer to Problem 1MC
Correct answer:
In practical terms, sterilization is defined as it eliminates organisms and spores or endospores.
Therefore, option (a) is correct.
Option (a) is given as “sterilization eliminates organisms and their spores or endospores”.
Explanation of Solution
Justify reasons for the correct statement:
Sterilization is the only method that is used for the removal of all types of microorganisms from the surface of any object. It is a permanent method of removing microorganism that can cause various harmful diseases.
Hence, option (a) is correct.
Justify reasons for the incorrect statements:
Option (b) is given as “sterilization eliminates harmful microorganism and viruses”. Sterilization is used to remove microorganism but sterilization cannot be used to remove virus because outside the living body, virus acts as non living. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Option (c) is given as “sterilization eliminates prions”.
Prions are the type of virus that acts as non living outside the host body so sterilization would not be able to remove prions. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Option (d) is given as “sterilization eliminates hyperthermophiles”.
Hyperthermophiles are the microorganism that grows at high temperature so sterilization cannot remove hyperthermophiles. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Hence, options (b), (c), and (d) are incorrect.
Sterilization is the effective way of removing microorganism from the surfaces, so that the growth of microorganism can be retarded.
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Chapter 9 Solutions
Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomy, Books a la Carte Plus Mastering Microbiology with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package (5th Edition)