Question:

Which of the following are indicators for moist heat autoclaving and sterilization in hot air oven, respectively?

Show Hint

Biological indicators are the most reliable validation tools because they directly test the capability of the sterilizer to kill highly resistant living spores, rather than just measuring physical parameters (like temperature/time charts).
  • Bacillus stearothermophilus and Clostridium sporogenes
  • Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus stearothermophilus
  • Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus stearothermophilus
  • Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis
Show Solution
collegedunia
Verified By Collegedunia

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Biological indicators are preparations of standardized, highly resistant bacterial spores used to validate and confirm that a specific sterilization process (moist heat or dry heat) has successfully achieved sterile conditions.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

The heat resistance profiles of bacterial spores dictate their suitability as indicators for different thermal processes:
- Moist Heat Sterilization (Autoclaving): The spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus (formerly known as Bacillus stearothermophilus) are extremely resistant to wet steam. They are utilized as the standard biological indicator for autoclaving, typically validated at \(121^\circ\text{C}\).
- Dry Heat Sterilization (Hot Air Oven): Dry heat is less effective than moist heat, requiring higher temperatures and longer times. The spores of Bacillus subtilis (specifically B. atrophaeus) exhibit exceptional resistance to dry heat and are utilized as the standard biological indicator for hot air ovens (typically validated at \(160\text{--}170^\circ\text{C}\)).

Step 3: Final Answer:

The respective biological indicators are Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis, which corresponds to option (D).
Was this answer helpful?
0
0