What is the difference between thermal death time and thermal death point

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1. **Definition of Thermal Death Point**

- The thermal death point is the minimum temperature at which a particular microorganism is killed in a specified time period. In other words, it is the temperature threshold above which all cells of a microorganism are thermally inactivated almost immediately under the prescribed conditions.

2. **Definition of Thermal Death Time**

- The thermal death time is the minimum time required to kill a specific number of microorganisms at a given temperature. It represents the duration that the microorganisms must be exposed to that temperature to achieve complete inactivation.

3. **Key Differences**

- **Parameter Focus:**  
     - The thermal death point focuses on the temperature required to kill the organisms.
     - The thermal death time focuses on the time period required at that temperature.
     
   - **Usage:**  
     - The thermal death point is useful in determining the critical temperature needed for immediate microbial inactivation.
     - The thermal death time helps in establishing how long the heating must be maintained at a particular temperature to ensure complete sterilization.

4. **Summary**

- If we let $$ T $$ represent the temperature and $$ t $$ represent time, then:
     - The thermal death point is a specific value $$ T_{	ext{TDP}} $$ such that holding the temperature at or above $$ T_{	ext{TDP}} $$ for the prescribed time causes complete microbial death.
     - The thermal death time, at a specified temperature $$ T $$, is the minimum time $$ t_{	ext{TDT}} $$ needed to achieve the same result.

Thus, while the thermal death point is concerned with the critical temperature necessary for microbial destruction, the thermal death time is focused on the duration of exposure at that temperature needed to ensure complete inactivation of the microorganisms.
Thermal death point is the minimum temperature needed to kill microorganisms, while thermal death time is the minimum time required at that temperature to ensure complete inactivation.

What is the difference between thermal death time and thermal death point

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