Microbiology

Microbiology Study Guide

o Sewage is rich in organics; polio virus protected o Disinfecting in hospitals; selection of resistance o Lipids and fats in the dairy industry; protect spoilage microbes o Remember that lab conditions used in testing are different than field conditions General Methods of Control Bactericidal vs. Bacteriostatic Derived from Bcidal, bactericidal constitutes the substances that aid in killing only bacterial species. Bactericidal constitute antibodies, disinfectants, and antiseptics. In contrast, derived from Bstatic, bacteriostatic agents are the ones that are comprised of the chemical or biological substances that hamper the growth and reproduction of bacteria. Sterilization Sterilization refers to the process that leads to the removal of any species of microbes together with the agents that transmit those microbes on the surface, fluid, medication, or compound. A number of techniques are present to sterilize, such as heating, chemical treatment, radiations, filtration, and temperature treatment. Asepsis When the contact with the microorganisms is prevented, or the situation in which the contaminants that causes infections and diseases are absent, it is termed as asepsis. Asepsis is also known as the practice that leads to the prevention of microorganisms in the operative field in medicine to help prevent infection. Ideally, a surgical field is said to be sterile, that is, free of all biological contaminants, not just those that can cause disease, putrefaction, or fermentation. However, such a situation is not possible since the patient has many infectious agents. There is no current method to safely eliminate the patient’s entire bacterial flora since the process leads to the destruction of bodily tissues. However, the main objective of asepsis is to prevent the formation of infection and not to achieve sterilization. Disinfectants Living microorganisms with the capability to cause infections on non-living objects are destroyed using disinfectants. Disinfectants are less effective when compared to sterilization, as they do not kill all kinds of microorganisms (e.g., nonresistant bacterial spores). It is important to differentiate disinfectants from other antimicrobial agents, antiseptics, and biocides. Antisepsis Microorganisms are killed on the living substances, skin, and tissues with the help of antisepsis. The role of antisepsis is to mitigate the probability of causing infection, putrefaction, or sepsis. It is vital to differentiate antisepsis from antibiotics and disinfectants, as antibiotics have the ability to destroy

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