Sterilization may refer to: *

Sterilization (microbiology) Sterilization () refers to any process that removes, kills, or deactivates all forms of life (particularly microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, spores, and unicellular eukaryotic organisms) and other biological agents (such as prions or virus ...

, killing or inactivation of micro-organisms *

Soil steam sterilization Soil steam sterilization (soil steaming) is a farming technique that Sterilization (microbiology), sterilizes soil with steam in open fields or greenhouses. Pests of plant cultures such as weeds, bacteria, fungi and viruses are killed through ...

, a farming technique that sterilizes soil with steam in open fields or greenhouses * Sterilization (medicine) renders a human unable to reproduce * Neutering is the surgical sterilization of animals * Irradiation induced sterility is used in the sterile insect technique * A chemosterilant is a chemical compound that causes sterility * Sterilization (economics), central bank operations aimed at neutralizing foreign exchange operations' impact on domestic money supply, or offset adverse consequences of large capital flows * A very severe enough

extinction event An extinction event (also known as a mass extinction or biotic crisis) is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp fall in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occ ...

that permanently renders a planet like

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

completely uninhabitable to even microbial life.

See also