Complete destruction of all forms of microbial life is known as?

The term for the complete destruction of all forms of microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores, is sterilization. This process is essential in medical and laboratory settings where the risk of infection must be minimized. Sterilization can be achieved through various methods such as steam under pressure (autoclaving), dry heat, radiation, or chemical agents that are specifically capable of eliminating all microorganisms.

In contrast, decontamination refers to the process of reducing the number of pathogens to a level considered safe, while disinfection is aimed at eliminating many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, from inanimate objects. Sanitization reduces the microbial load to a safer level but does not eliminate all microbes completely. Thus, sterilization is the term that accurately reflects the thoroughness required for total microbial eradication.