A laboratory technician needs to sterilize glass petri dishes and metal instruments. The standard protocol for a hot air oven requires maintaining a specific temperature for a set duration. What are the standard parameters for dry heat sterilization using a hot air oven?

• A 121°C for 15 minutes
• B 80°C for 60 minutes
• C 100°C for 30 minutes
• D 160°C for 120 minutes ✓

Explanation

Dry heat sterilization by hot air oven requires 160°C for 2 hours or 170°C for 1 hour to ensure oxidation and killing of endospores. 121°C for 15 minutes is the autoclave standard for moist heat. 100°C is boiling or Tyndallization. 80°C is used for pasteurization, not sterilization.

Reference: Ananthanarayan and Panicker's Textbook of Microbiology, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.