What is the primary mechanism of action for moist heat sterilization?

The primary mechanism of action for moist heat sterilization is the denaturation of protein. When materials are subjected to moist heat, such as steam under pressure, the high temperature leads to the unfolding and aggregation of proteins within microorganisms. This denaturation disrupts essential cellular functions and structures, ultimately leading to cell death.

Moist heat sterilization effectively penetrates the cells, allowing the heat and moisture to work together to alter protein structures, making it a reliable method for ensuring the destruction of a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and spores. This process is significantly more effective than dry heat sterilization due to the moisture's role in aiding in the penetration and transfer of heat into cells.

Other mechanisms, such as the oxidation of cellular membranes or disruption of DNA structure, may play a role in other sterilization methods, but they do not define the primary action of moist heat sterilization. Destruction of microbial cell walls is also a consequence of this process but is secondary to the fundamental denaturation of proteins that is central to how moist heat exerts its sterilizing effect.