Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

In biology, "inactivate" means to make something inactive. This term is often used in the context of viruses. For example, a "killed" vaccine contains viruses that have been inactivated, rendering them no longer infectious. Inactivation can be achieved through methods like using chemicals to inactivate viruses.12

While bacteria are living organisms, viruses are not. Viruses require host cells to reproduce and are dormant outside of them. Inactivation is a process that prevents these viruses from causing infection.3

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.