Which statement about disinfection and sterilization is true?

• A. Disinfection kills most pathogens; sterilization kills all organisms.
• B. Disinfection kills all pathogens; sterilization kills most pathogens.
• C. Disinfection removes debris; sterilization kills viruses.
• D. Disinfection and sterilization are the same.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the difference in how complete each process is at eliminating microorganisms. Disinfection reduces or eliminates most pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate surfaces, but it does not guarantee destruction of every microorganism or spores. Sterilization is the more thorough process that aims to destroy or remove all viable microorganisms, including spores, on an item.

That’s why this statement is the best: it captures the essential distinction—disinfection kills most pathogens, while sterilization achieves a level where no viable organisms remain. The other choices mix up the concepts or describe processes inaccurately: removing debris is a cleaning step, not disinfection; sterilization does not merely kill viruses—indeed, it targets all organisms, including viruses; and disinfection and sterilization are not the same.