Final answer:
Standard conditions for autoclaving are 121 C and 15 psi for 20 minutes, a process which uses moist heat to achieve sterilization of items by killing all microorganisms including tough endospores.
Step-by-step explanation:
Standard conditions for sterilization by autoclaving are 121 C and 15 psi for 20 minutes. Autoclaves utilize moist-heat sterilization to effectively kill vegetative cells, viruses, and particularly tough endospores. Charles Chamberland, working in the laboratory of Louis Pasteur, designed the modern autoclave. This method is crucial for ensuring that surgical equipment and other critical items are free from all live microorganisms, which is essential in laboratory, medical, and some food industry settings.
The autoclaving process involves raising temperatures above the boiling point of water under pressure, which allows for the temperatures to exceed 100 °C without boiling the water away. Containers and instruments to be sterilized are left partially open or wrapped in a way that allows steam to penetrate effectively. The duration of exposure may vary depending on the volume and type of material, but it typically starts at 20 minutes for standard loads.