BIO 205

Chapter 23
Physical and Chemical Control of
Microorganisms
 General Principles of Microbial Control
Sterilization and Sanitation Are Key to Good Public Health

•Sterilization involves destruction of all living microbes,

spores, and viruses

•Sterile objects become contaminated when exposed to air

and surroundings

•Sanitization reduces the numbers of pathogens or

discourages their growth
 Physical Methods of Control

Heat Is One of the Most Common Physical Control Methods

At heats above the growth range:

•proteins and nucleic acids are destroyed
•water is removed
•Each microbial species has a thermal death time for a
given temperature

Each species has a thermal death point:

•the minimum temperature at which it dies in a given

time period

Incineration uses direct flame to kill microbes

Dry and Moist Heat Are Applied
Differently

•Dry heat requires long

periods of exposure to high
temperatures

The heat changes

microbial proteins and
removes water, slowly
burning the microbes

•Moist heat (like boiling

water) is faster and effective
at a lower temperature than
dry heat

It kills microbes by
denaturing their proteins
Boiling water may not kill all spores or inactivate all viruses

Pressurized steam is used in an autoclave to sterilize a variety

of objects

Fractional sterilization is used for sterilization if materials are

not suited to the autoclave
•Pasteurization reduces bacterial populations in food and drink

•This reduces the chances of spoilage and disease

•Bacterial spores are not affected by pasteurization

Filtration Traps Microorganisms

•As fluid passes through a filter, organisms above a certain

size threshold are trapped in the pores

•Air can be filtered using a high-efficiency particulate air

(HEPA) filter
•Ultraviolet Light Can Be Used to Control Microbial Growth

•Exposure to UV light causes thymine molecules to link together

•Errors in protein synthesis and impairment of chromosome replication

occur

•Other Types of Radiation Also Can Sterilize Materials

•X rays and gamma rays (ionizing radiations) force electrons out of microbial
molecules
Radiation is used to control microbes in food
Preservation Methods Retard Spoilage by Microorganisms in
Foods

•Drying removes the water necessary for microbes to live

•Salting causes water to diffuse out of organisms, causing

dehydration and death

•Low temperatures lower microbial metabolic and growth

rates, retarding spoilage
Principles of Chemical Control of
Microorganisms
•Medicinal Chemicals Came into Widespread Use in the 1800s

•Chemical agents rarely achieve sterilization

•But they do disinfect (destroy pathogens)

•Antiseptics are used to destroy pathogens on
living tissue

•Sepsis refers to contamination by microorganisms

•Sanitizing means reducing microbial population to

a safe level

•Degerming means removing organisms from an

object’s surface
Antiseptics and Disinfectants have Distinctive Properties

They should be:

•Able to kill or slow growth of microbes

•Nontoxic to humans and animals
•Soluble in water
•Storable
•Effective quickly and at low concentration

Also important in choosing an agent are:

•Temperature
•pH
•Duration of disinfection
Antiseptics and Disinfectants Can Be Evaluated for
Effectiveness

•The phenol coefficient (PC) indicates disinfecting

ability compared to that of phenol

•An in-use test to compare samples of substrate

before and after disinfection
Halogens Oxidize Proteins

Chlorine keeps bacterial populations low in municipal water

supplies and swimming pools

Iodine is used to disinfect wounds, water, and restaurant

equipment

Iodophores release iodine over a long period of time

Phenol and Phenolic

Compounds Denature Proteins

Phenol:
•is expensive
•is caustic
•has a pungent odor

Derivatives have:
•greater germicidal activity
•lower toxicity than phenol

Bisphenols are combinations of two

phenol molecules

They are commonly used in

disinfection and antisepsis
Heavy Metals Interfere with Microbial Metabolism

•Mercury, copper, and silver are reactive with proteins

•They disrupt cellular metabolism, killing microbes

Alcohols Denature Proteins and Disrupt Membranes

•Ethanol is effective against vegetative cells but not spores

•Membrane disruption is caused by lipid dissolution

Soaps and Detergents Act as Surface-Active Agents

•Soaps remove microbes by emulsifying and solubilizing particles

on the skin

Detergents are surfactants

•They also cause cytoplasm leakage from microbial

membranes

Quaternary ammonium compounds react with cell

membranes and destroy some bacteria and viruses
End of Chapter 23