The state of having no viable microorganisms on a surface is best described as

The state of having no viable microorganisms on a surface is best described as

• A. Sterilization
• B. Disinfection
• C. Asepsis
• D. Sanitization

Answer: (C)

The main idea is distinguishing a state from a process in infection control. Having no viable microorganisms on a surface describes asepsis—a condition of being free from disease-causing microbes to prevent infection. It’s about the setting or state of contamination, maintained by practices that avoid or remove microbes. Sterilization, by contrast, is the process that achieves sterility by destroying all forms of life, including spores. Disinfection reduces most pathogens but may not eliminate everything, and sanitization lowers microbial load to safe levels, not necessarily to zero. So the statement best matches asepsis.

The main idea is distinguishing a state from a process in infection control. Having no viable microorganisms on a surface describes asepsis—a condition of being free from disease-causing microbes to prevent infection. It’s about the setting or state of contamination, maintained by practices that avoid or remove microbes. Sterilization, by contrast, is the process that achieves sterility by destroying all forms of life, including spores. Disinfection reduces most pathogens but may not eliminate everything, and sanitization lowers microbial load to safe levels, not necessarily to zero. So the statement best matches asepsis.