Final answer:
The destruction of infectious agents on an object or surface by direct application of chemical or physical means is disinfection or sterilization, with disinfection reducing microbial load without achieving full sterility, and sterilization aiming for the complete obliteration of all microorganisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The destruction of infectious agents on an object or surface by direct application of chemical or physical means is referred to as disinfection or sterilization. Disinfection generally inactivates most microbes on a surface using antimicrobial chemicals or heat. However, some microbes, particularly hardy ones like endospores, may remain, so the item is not considered sterile.
On the other hand, sterilization is the complete removal or killing of all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses from the targeted item or environment. Sterilization can be accomplished through physical means such as exposure to high heat and pressure, or chemical means by using sterilants.
For surfaces that people come into regular contact with, sanitization may also be conducted. This is the process of cleaning to remove enough microbes to achieve levels deemed safe for public health, like the high temperatures used in commercial dishwashers to kill most microbes on dishes. Not to be confused with -static treatments, which do not kill infectious agents but are designed to keep their population in check and are often less toxic.