Microbial Growth Control

A set of vocabulary flashcards focused on key concepts and definitions related to microbial growth control and antimicrobial treatments.

Sterilization

Destruction or removal of all forms of microbial life, including endospores but with possible exception of prions.

Commercial Sterilization

Sufficient heat treatment to kill endospores of C. botulinum in canned foods.

Disinfection

Destruction of vegetative pathogens on inanimate objects, may use physical or chemical methods.

Antisepsis

Destruction of vegetative pathogens on living tissue using chemical antimicrobials.

Degerming

Removal of microbes from a limited area, such as the skin around an injection site.

Sanitization

Treatment intended to lower microbial counts on eating, drinking, and utensils to safe public health levels.

Microbial Death Curve

A graphical representation showing the loss of the ability to reproduce at a constant rate.

Moist Heat Sterilization

Sterilization method using steam under pressure to achieve high temperatures.

Autoclave

A device that sterilizes by using steam under pressure, most effective for medical and laboratory items.

Pasteurization

A method of disinfection that eliminates pathogenic microbes through mild heating.

Filtration

The process of passing liquid or gas through a material with pores small enough to trap microorganisms.

Cryopreservation

Preservation technique involving the freezing of biological material at very low temperatures.

Desiccation

The process of drying out which can preserve microbes but often does not kill them.

Antimicrobial Drug Resistance

A condition in which microorganisms can tolerate the effects of a drug that would normally inhibit or kill them.

Selective Toxicity

A drug's ability to kill or inhibit microorganisms without damaging the host cell.

Broad Spectrum Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials effective against a wide variety of microorganisms.

Narrow Spectrum Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials effective against a limited range of microorganisms.

Superinfection

An infection occurring after or on top of an earlier one, often due to the disruption of normal flora.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

A type of bacteria that has developed resistance to methicillin and other antibiotics.

Beta-lactamase

An enzyme produced by some bacteria that provides resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillin.

Use-Dilution Test

A method to determine the effectiveness of an antimicrobial agent by observing bacterial growth.

Zone of Inhibition

Area around a disinfectant disc where bacteria cannot grow, used to measure antibiotic effectiveness.

Antifungal Drug Mechanism

Targets components unique to fungi such as ergosterol or disrupts their cell wall.

Antiviral Drugs

Substances designed to inhibit viral replication and prevent virus from entering host cells.