Answer:
a. autoclaving
Explanation:
The autoclave is a device designed to sterilize contaminated material and media, in order to reliably eliminate microorganisms that would otherwise be present in objects that are used in diagnostic, treatment or research activities in hospitals and laboratories health institutions . This sterilization is usually carried out with moist heat in devices called autoclaves. It is also a widely used equipment in the food industries and in the pharmaceutical industry.
For sterilization of culture media to be effective, the selected temperature and time must be achieved throughout the liquid. Since the transmission of heat in the liquid of the vessels is carried out from the outside inwards, it is evident that the efficiency of the process will depend on the volume of liquid.
In general, it is not convenient to sterilize large and small containers together. In any case, the temperature and time will be selected according to the volume of the containers.
Hermetically sealed containers must be introduced into the autoclave without completely closing the cap, to facilitate the entry of steam during the process. When emptying the autoclave after sterilization we will proceed to completely close these containers.
Empty containers require a longer sterilization time than containers with liquid inside.
The autoclaves are available in many sizes, the small ones are desktop and the larger ones are complex equipment that require a large amount of pre-installation for their operation. In order to measure its size, the volume of the sterilization chamber is usually taken as a reference, which is measured in cubic centimeters or liters. Depending on their operation they are semi-automatic or automatic.
