Microbial Control Terminology

• Sterilization is the process of killing all the living microorganisms, including bacterial spores.
• Disinfection is the process of elimination of most pathogenic microorganisms (excluding bacterial spores) on inanimate objects.
• Sterilization is an absolute condition while disinfection is not.
• Decontamination is the process of removal of contaminating pathogenic microorganisms from the articles by a process of sterilization or disinfection.
• Sanitization is the process of chemical or mechanical cleansing, applicable in public health systems.
• Asepsis is the employment of techniques (such as usage of gloves, air filters, uv rays etc) to achieve microbe-free environment.
• Antisepsis is the use of chemicals (antiseptics) to make skin or mucus membranes devoid of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Bacteriostasis is a condition where the multiplication of the bacteria is inhibited without killing them.
• Bactericidal is that chemical that can kill or inactivate bacteria. Such chemicals may be called variously depending on the spectrum of activity, such as bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, microbicidal, sporicidal, tuberculocidal or germicidal.
• Antibiotics are substances produced by one microbe that inhibits or kills another microbe.

This quiz covers terminology related to the control of microorganisms, including sterilization, disinfection, decontamination, sanitization, asepsis, antisepsis, bacteriostasis, bactericidal, and antibiotics.