Moist heat sterilization is generally more effective than dry heat because the intrinsic heat resistance of vegetative cells is greatly __ under wet conditions. Choose the most accurate completion.

Introduction:
Autoclaving (moist heat) achieves microbial destruction at lower temperatures and shorter times than dry heat. The presence of water facilitates denaturation and coagulation of proteins and disrupts membranes, which reduces microbial heat resistance compared with dry conditions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target organisms are vegetative cells (not highly resistant spores).
• Moist heat involves pressurized steam in contact with cells.
• Dry heat lacks condensed moisture at the cell surface.

Concept / Approach:
Water acts as a plasticizer and reactant, accelerating protein unfolding and hydrolytic reactions. Steam also provides superior heat transfer via latent heat release upon condensation, rapidly bringing cells to lethal temperatures and maintaining them there. Consequently, cells exhibit lower intrinsic heat resistance in wet state compared with dry state, yielding faster log-reductions at the same temperature.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard sterilization guidelines show much shorter D-values (time for 1-log reduction) for moist heat than for dry heat at comparable temperatures (e.g., 121 °C moist vs 160–170 °C dry for similar lethality).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Increased in wet state: Opposite of observed behavior.
• Statements about dry state: Do not explain moist heat’s superior effectiveness.

Common Pitfalls:
Attributing superiority only to heat transfer; biochemical facilitation by water is equally important for protein inactivation and DNA damage.

Final Answer:
decreased in a wet state