Final answer:
Sterilization is performed by an a) autoclave, which uses moist-heat to effectively eradicate all microbes, including endospores, ensuring equipment is safe for medical and laboratory use.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sterilization, or the eradication of all organisms on the surface of instruments and equipment before they can be used on patients or in procedures, is performed by a autoclave. Autoclaves are essential in healthcare and laboratory settings to ensure that surgical equipment and other items are free from contaminants such as vegetative cells, viruses, and particularly resistant forms like endospores. These devices utilize moist-heat sterilization to raise temperatures above the boiling point of water, which is more effective at penetrating and killing microbes than dry-heat methods. The autoclave, designed by Charles Chamberland, remains one of the most effective tools for achieving complete sterilization.