Which term describes chemical killing of SOME microorganisms?

• A. Disinfection
• B. Sterilization
• C. Antisepsis
• D. Germination

Answer: (A)

Understanding how different methods target microbes by scope and medium helps you pick the right term. Disinfection uses chemical agents to reduce or eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate surfaces. It aims to destroy most disease-causing organisms but does not guarantee killing every microbe or spores, which is why it describes killing some microorganisms rather than all. Sterilization would totalize the destruction of all microorganisms, including spores. Antisepsis handles living tissues, reducing or inhibiting microbes on skin or mucous membranes. Germination is about spores beginning to grow, not a killing process.