Steam sterilization has the advantages of faster sterilization time, lower temperatures required, and greater effectiveness against spores compared to dry heat sterilization.

The primary difference is that sterilization kills all microorganisms, while disinfection reduces the number of viable organisms but may not eliminate all.

Alcohol-based disinfectants primarily work by denaturing proteins, which disrupts cellular functions and leads to cell death.

All of the above types of indicators can be used to verify the effectiveness of sterilization processes.

Ethylene oxide requires long exposure times to achieve sterilization, which can be a limitation in clinical settings.

Ultraviolet light is a method of disinfection that uses high-energy radiation to kill or inactivate microorganisms.

Chemical disinfection is a method used to reduce microbial load but does not guarantee the elimination of all microorganisms, thus it is not considered sterilization.