Final answer:
Autoclaving is the process that effectively destroys endospores by using moist heat at high temperatures and pressure, while boiling, desiccation, and pasteurization are not reliable methods to accomplish this.
Step-by-step explanation:
Methods for Destroying Endospores
Endospores are highly resistant structures formed by certain bacteria allowing them to survive extreme conditions. These endospores can withstand heat, desiccation, and many other environmental challenges. However, they are not indestructible. Certain sterilization methods have proven effective in destroying endospores.
Autoclaving is a method that applies moist heat at high pressure to achieve temperatures above the boiling point of water, typically 121°C (250°F) for a specific amount of time. This process, due to the high temperature and pressure, is effective at killing endospores, making it the most reliable method for sterilization in medical and laboratory settings.
While boiling for 10 minutes can kill many vegetative cells and some viruses, it is not sufficient to destroy endospores, as some can survive up to 20 hours of boiling. Therefore, boiling is ineffective for the complete sterilization needed to destroy endospores. Similarly, desiccation preserves rather than kills endospores, and pasteurization only reduces the number of spoilage-causing microbes and pathogens but is not designed to sterilize and kill all microbes, including endospores.
With this understanding, we can confidently say that autoclaving is the correct method for destroying endospores, making options like boiling, desiccation, and pasteurization less effective for this purpose.