Final answer:
Sterilization is the process that kills all bacterial life forms including spores. Antiseptics are used on living tissues for microbial control, while filtration is used to physically remove microbes without killing them. A germicide that kills vegetative cells and certain viruses but not spores is a non-sterilizing bactericide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that kills all bacterial life forms including spores is sterilization. Sterilization is necessary for some medical applications as well as in the food industry, for instance, to kill endospores of Clostridium botulinum using commercial sterilization protocols. Sterilization can be achieved through physical means such as high heat and pressure, or chemical means using substances known as sterilants, which are effective against all forms of microbial life.
For microbial control on tissues to prevent infection, an antiseptic is suitable as it is specifically designed to be non-toxic and safe for use on living tissues.
The microbial control method that does not kill or inhibit the growth of microbes, but rather removes them physically, is filtration. This method is especially useful when it is necessary to sterilize heat-sensitive materials.
A germicide that can kill vegetative cells and certain enveloped viruses but not endospores is referred to as a bactericide with germicidal properties, yet without the ability to achieve full sterilization since it does not eliminate spores.