Autoclave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Autoclave - Essay Example The relationship between temperature and pressure is a directly proportional one. In chemistry when the pressure of a gas rises, the temperature of the gas increase correspondingly too. With this principle in mind steam is a gas used in the autoclave chamber. Increasing its pressure in a closed system will lead to increase in temperature. At higher temperatures water molecules of the steam become more invigorated. At this vigorous speed the molecule’s penetration escalates. This principle proves to be advantageous because it reduces the time taken by the things in the autoclave to sterilize (Hussain, 2009). As mentioned above dry heat and moist heat can both provide sterilization but they differ in some manners. Dry heat accounts on oxidizing molecule for its action. Dry heat’s mechanism of action is slower than moist heat. Dry heat penetrates walls of substances much slower than moist heat. Dry heat is used in sterilizing glass products, oils and powders. Due to its slow mechanism of action sterilization by dry heat is done at 171 degrees centigrade for 1 hour and the time may increase depending on volume. Dry heat may also be used in the shape of an open flame used to sterilize inoculating loops, mouths of pipettes and culture tubes. On the other hand moist heat destroys organisms by the denaturing proteins and also by disrupting the membrane of lipids. Moist heat is favored because of its penetration powers. It is known that the most resistant spores require a temperature of 121Â °C for around half an hour to denature. Hence moist heat application is more effective compared to dry heat sterilization. This can also be proven by the fact that moist heat, sterilization can be completed at lower temperatures in lesser time. Culture media, flammable and heat-sensitive items, liquids and dense loads can be sterilized by moist heat (Black,