Final answer:
Incineration is the process of destroying microbes by extreme dry heat, which is a form of dry-heat sterilization used in microbiology laboratories to sterilize equipment such as inoculating loops.
Step-by-step explanation:
The destruction of microbes by subjecting them to extremes of dry heat, reducing them to ashes and gases, is known as incineration. This is a form of dry-heat sterilization and is used in aseptic techniques in microbiology laboratories where it is imperative to ensure that instruments such as inoculating loops are free of any microbial life. For instance, the process 'flaming a loop' effectively incinerates any microorganisms that may be present in the loop. While there are various methods of sterilization, such as autoclaving and pasteurization, they serve different purposes and have different impacts on the target substance or environment. Incineration is particularly useful for complete sterilization when items cannot be exposed to moisture.