Final answer:
Filtration is the microbial control method that does not kill or inhibit growth but removes microbes physically from samples. Desiccation and lyophilization are other methods that work by removing water, whereas nonionizing radiation can kill or inhibit microbes on surfaces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question which microbial control method does not actually kill microbes or inhibit their growth, but instead removes them physically from samples, pertains to methods that are not considered sterilization techniques. In the list provided, the correct answer is A. filtration. This method physically separates microbes from samples by passing fluids or air through a filter with pores small enough to capture microorganisms, but it does not kill them. On the other hand, methods like desiccation and lyophilization remove water from microbes, inhibiting their growth or killing them by disrupting their metabolism and physiological processes. Lastly, nonionizing radiation such as ultraviolet light is used for surface sterilization since it can damage the DNA of microorganisms, thereby inhibiting growth or killing them, but it does not penetrate surfaces deeply.