Final answer:
Autoclaving is the sterilization method used for inoculating loops and biomedical wastes. It applies moist heat and pressure to effectively penetrate cells and kill microorganisms. For heat-sensitive materials, methods like gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide sterilization are used.
Step-by-step explanation:
Autoclaving is the method used to sterilize inoculating loops and biomedical wastes. This process uses moist heat to penetrate cells better than dry heat and is more effective for sterilization. In a microbiology laboratory, flaming a loop is a part of the dry-heat sterilization method to incinerate any microorganisms on the loop, whereas autoclaving involves applying high heat and pressure to achieve sterilization.
Different methods of sterilization are suitable for various types of materials. While flaming and autoclaving are best for heat-stable materials, methods like gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide are used for heat-sensitive materials. Gamma irradiation is an effective way to sterilize heat-sensitive and packaged materials and is classified under ionizing radiation. Ethylene oxide, on the other hand, is a gas used for cold sterilization, particularly useful for sterilizing items within plastic bags and for other heat-sensitive equipment.