What process is defined as the destruction or removal of all life forms, including spores?

The correct process defined as the destruction or removal of all life forms, including spores, is sterilization. Sterilization is a comprehensive method that ensures that all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and their spores, are eliminated from an object or environment. This is crucial in various fields, such as healthcare and mortuary science, where the presence of any viable microorganisms can pose significant risks.

Disinfection, on the other hand, is a process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores. While effective for most purposes, it does not achieve the complete level of cleanliness that sterilization does. Sanitization refers to the reduction of microbial populations to safe levels as determined by public health standards, which may not eliminate all microbial life. Antisepsis involves the application of antiseptic agents to living tissues to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, but it also does not achieve complete destruction of all life forms. Therefore, sterilization stands out as the definitive process for removing all life forms, fitting the definition provided.