Sterilization by Heat

Let’s just review what happens in the autoclave. We open the door, and place the load [1] [2] inside the autoclave chamber. The load refers to whatever we wish to sterilize, i.e., surgical instruments, as well as laboratory essentials like solids, liquids, or hollows. Once we close the door and set the autoclave to the appropriate cycle, water begins to enter the chamber and heat up to 121℃ or 134℃, thus creating steam. Steam can be produced either inside the chamber or externally by a steam generator.