UNIT II

Control of Microorganisms

Prepared by Miss Uroosa Naseem

Advanced Health Sciences Institute Of Nursing
CONTENT
• Explain importance of the control of microbial growth.
• Describe some physical and chemical methods to control microbial growth
• Define the terms i.e.
• sterilization, antiseptic,
• asepsis,baseptic, macrobiotic,
• microbiacidal, antibiotic etc.
• Differentiate between broad spectrum and narrow spectrum antibiotics.
CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
General Considerations in Microbial Control
1. Desired level of cleanliness
• Some methods kill all organisms while others
allow varying levels of microbial survival
• Multiple factors will determine which methods
can be used
CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
Relative Resistance of Microbial Forms
• Primary targets of microbial control are the
microorganisms that can cause infection or spoilage that
are constantly present in the external environment
• These microorganisms show varying resistance to forms
of control
1) Highest resistance –bacterial endospores
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
• Moderate resistance means some tough microorganisms
can handle a fight against control methods. Examples
include sturdy bacteria like tuberculosis, stubborn fungi
spores, and certain viruses.
• Lowest resistance is for the easier targets like most
bacteria, vulnerable fungi, and friendly viruses that are
easier to control, like a common cold.
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
Methods of microbial control
1. Sterilization
• Removes all viable microorganisms including viruses &
spores .Usually reserved for inanimate objects
• Mostly performed with heat but chemicals can also be
used.
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
2. Disinfection
• The use of a physical process or chemical agent (disinfectant)
to destroy vegetative pathogens and most viruses
• Does not destroy bacterial endospores & some viruses
• Also removes toxins
• Usually used only on inanimate objects
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS

3. Antisepsis
• Antiseptics applied directly to exposed body
surfaces to destroy or inhibit vegetative pathogens
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
4. Sanitization
• Any cleansing technique that mechanically removes
microorganisms to reduce contamination to safe
levels
• Examples include washing dishes or clothes
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS

Virucide – a chemical that inactivates viruses

Sporicide – can destroy bacterial endospores
Germicide and microbicide – chemical agents that kill
a variety of microorganisms
 CONTROLLING MICROORGANISMS
2. Stasis and static: to stand still
A) Bacteriostatic – prevent the growth of bacteria
B) Fungi static – inhibit fungal growth
C) Microbistatic – materials used to control microorganisms
in the body (ex. antiseptics)
 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
3. Factors that Influence the Action of Antimicrobial Agents
• The number of microorganisms
• The nature of the microorganisms in the
population
• The temperature and pH of the environment
• The concentration of the agent
 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
• The mode of action of the agent
• The presence of solvents, interfering organic
matter, and inhibitors
 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

How Antimicrobial Agents Work: Their Modes of Action

1. Affect the cell wall
2. Block its synthesis, digest it, or break down its surface The
cell becomes fragile and is lysed easily
3. Ex. penicillin, cephalosporin, vancomycin, detergents, and
alcohol
 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

2. Affect the cell membrane

• Disrupt the normal transport of materials in/out of the
cell or allow the free flow of substances in/out of the
cell
• Ex. surfactants – detergents that essentially open holes
in the membrane
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
Methods of Physical Control
A. Heat as an Agent of Microbial Control
1. Generally, elevated temperatures are Microbicidal and
lower temperatures are Microbistatic
2. Common Methods of Moist Heat Control
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
A) Steam under pressure (steam sterilization)
1) Steam can only reach 100 degrees under normal
pressure; increasing the pressure allows for higher temps
and better microbe killing
2) Destroys vegetative cells, spores, and viruses
 PHYSICAL CONTROL

3) Autoclave – the commercial device used for steam-heat

sterilization
a) Similar in function to a pressure cooker
b) Average settings are 15psi, 121 degrees, 15 minutes
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
4) Effective at sterilizing heat-resistant materials (glassware,
cloth, metallic instruments, liquids, etc.) and any material that
will be discarded (plastic Petri dishes and pipets)
5) Not effective in sterilizing substances that repel or absorb
moisture (waxes, oils, powders)
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
Boiling Water
1) For disinfection and not sterilization
2) Expose materials to boiling water for 30 minutes
a) 10 minutes will kill all non-spore-forming pathogens &
most viruses
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
3. Dry Heat – incineration and hot air
A) Incineration
1) Ignites and reduces microbes to ashes and gas
2) Common practice in microbiology lab – flaming the loop
3) Hospitals often use incineration to eliminate their
infectious waste materials
 PHYSICAL CONTROL
2. Desiccation – drying
A) Inhibits growth by removing water
B) Inhibits the spread of most pathogens but not all of them
C) Lyophilization – mixture of freezing & drying
1) Used to preserve microbes and other cells for long
periods of time
D) Not considered a viable method of sterilization or
disinfection
 CHEMICAL AGENTS
Chemical Agents in Microbial Control
A. Germicidal Categories According to Chemical Group
1. Halogens
A) Fluorine, bromine, chlorine, and iodine
B) They generally disrupt microbial enzyme function
 CHEMICAL AGENTS
C) Effective against vegetative cells and some spores
D) Ex. household bleach (chlorine) & Betadine (iodine)
2. Phenol and its Derivatives
A) Effective against vegetative cells but not spores
 CHEMICAL AGENTS
B) They denature proteins and disrupt cell membranes
C) Often have a nasty odor and some side effects
D) Ex. orthophenylphenol (active ingredient in Lysol),
hexylresorcinol (used in some throat lozenges), and
hexachlorophene (Phisoderm)
 CHEMICAL AGENTS
3. Alcohols
A) Effective against vegetative cells but not spores
1) More effective in inactivating enveloped viruses than
no enveloped viruses
B) Isopropanol and ethanol are most commonly used in 70-
95% mixtures
 CHEMICAL AGENTS
C) Work by denaturing proteins and disrupting cell walls &
membranes
1) 100% (absolute alcohol) dehydrates cells and inhibits
their growth
D) One disadvantage is that they evaporate quickly and
may not be in contact with the microbe long enough to be
effective
 BROAD AND NARROW SPECTRUM

Broad-spectrum antibiotics: An antibiotic that is effective against a

wide range of
bacteria, both gram-positive and gram-negative
Narrow-spectrum antibiotics: Antibiotics that kill just gram-
positive or gram-negative
• bacteria or could be specific to one type of bacteria.
Thank you