What is the process to destroy all microbes, including spores, known as?

The process that effectively eliminates all forms of microbial life, including highly resistant bacterial spores, is known as sterilization. Sterilization can be achieved through various methods such as autoclaving, which uses high-pressure steam, or through chemical means like ethylene oxide or hydrogen peroxide gas. This level of microbial control is essential in medical and laboratory settings where complete removal of all microorganisms is crucial to prevent infection or contamination.

Other methods, such as disinfection and sanitization, do not achieve this level of microbial destruction. Disinfection typically reduces the number of pathogenic organisms but may not eliminate all microbes or their spores. Sanitization refers to processes aimed at reducing microbial counts to safe levels, usually to meet public health standards, but again, does not guarantee the complete destruction of all microbes. Antisepsis involves the application of antiseptics to living tissues to inhibit or destroy microorganisms but does not pertain to the complete elimination of all microbes on surfaces or equipment.