Question

Identify the correct definition of a disinfectant.
A. Chemicals that kill or prevent infection and damage living tissues.
B. Chemicals that kill or prevent infection without damaging living tissues.
C. Chemicals that can only kill or prevent infection on non-living objects.
D. Chemicals that can only kill or prevent infection in animals.

Answer 1

Hint: Disinfectants are chemical agents that are built on inert surfaces to inactivate or kill microorganisms. Disinfection particularly is resistance against bacterial spores, it does not inherently destroy all microorganisms; it is less efficient than sterilization, which is an intense physical or chemical process that destroys all forms of life.

Complete answer: In general, disinfectants are distinct from other antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics that kill microorganisms in the body and antiseptics that kill microorganisms in living tissues. Disinfectants are also distinguished from biocides, which are meant to kill not only microorganisms but all types of them. Disinfectants act by destroying the microbe cell walls or interfering with their metabolism. It is also a type of decontamination and can be characterized as the process by which the number of pathogenic microorganisms on a surface is reduced by physical or chemical methods. Sanitizers are agents that clean and disinfect at the same time. Disinfectants destroy more germs than sanitizers. Disinfectants are commonly used to kill contagious species in clinics, dental procedures, kitchens, and bathrooms. Compared to disinfectants, sanitizers are mild and are used mainly to clean items that are in human contact, while disinfectants are concentrated and used to clean surfaces such as floors and houses. Disinfectants are chemical antimicrobials used to remove bacteria, such as phenol, cresol, etc from inanimate objects and surfaces or non-living objects.
Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note: A great disinfectant can also give total and complete microbiological sterilization that is affordable and non-corrosive. However, most disinfectants are often potentially harmful to humans or animals (even toxic). As a safety precaution, most modern household disinfectants contain denatonium, an extremely bitter material that is added to prevent ingestion.