Final answer:
Desiccation is the process of removing water from cells through drying. It is used to preserve foods by controlling microbial growth. Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, is an example of desiccation that combines cold exposure and desiccation for effective microbial control.
Step-by-step explanation:
Desiccation, also known as drying or dehydration, is the process of removing water from cells through drying. It is a method that has been used for millennia to preserve foods by controlling microbial growth. Desiccation does not kill all microbes, but it can inhibit their growth until conditions are more favourable. One example of desiccation is freeze-drying, or lyophilization, which combines cold exposure and desiccation. It involves rapidly freezing the item and placing it under a vacuum, causing water to be lost through sublimation. Lyophilization is effective for controlling microbial growth and is used for long-term storage and transportation of microbial cultures.