Control of Microbial Growth (Microbiology)

Recall cards on the control of microbial growth. Terminology and the physical control of microbes: sterilization, disinfection, antisepsis, degerming, sanitization, asepsis, and sepsis; the -cide versus -stat suffixes; the microbial death curve and decimal reduction time (D-value); the factors that determine an antimicrobial protocol's effectiveness; and physical methods with their exact figures, the autoclave (121 degrees Celsius, 15 to 20 psi), HTST and UHT pasteurization, boiling, dry heat, thermal death point and time, refrigeration, freezing, lyophilization, high-pressure processing, HEPA and membrane filtration, and ionizing and ultraviolet radiation. Chemical control: phenolics, heavy metals and oligodynamic action, halogens, alcohols, surfactants and quaternary ammonium compounds, bisbiguanides, alkylating agents, peroxygens, and chemical food preservatives, each with its mechanism, examples, and limitations. And measuring effectiveness: the phenol coefficient, the disk-diffusion method, the use-dilution test, and the in-use test.