How much heat does it take to destroy microorganisms?
Moisture improves heat penetration, making sterilization by moist heat more effective then dry heat. Killing microorganisms by dry heat is a lengthy process that requires high temperatures. On the other hand, most yeasts, molds, and bacteria can be killed using moist heat at 80°C for 10 minutes. These conditions are not sufficient to inactivate mold or bacteria spores, which are more heat-resistant than cells in their vegetative states. Bacterial spores require exposure to moist heat at temperatures of 121°C (achieved under high-pressure conditions) for at least 15 minutes for inactivation. The “gold standard” for heat sterilizatin is inactivation of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores. If heat treatment was sufficient to inactivate test strips containing these spores, then the sterilization is considered successful. It is important to note that there are rare types of bacteria which are capable of growing at high temperatures. These bacteria are classified as thermophiles and hyperthem
