Prac # 2
PRINCIPLES AND USES OF
MICROBIOLOGICAL
INSTRUMENTS
CONTENTS
1. Microscope 8. Vortex mixture
2. Analytical balance 9. Incubator
3. Deep freezer 10. Autoclave
4. Bunsen burner 11. Heating plate
5. Laminar air flow 12. Centrifuge
6. Water bath 13. Colony counter
7. Water distiller 14. pH mete
CONTENTS
15. Spectrophotometer
22. Gel electrophoresis
16. Magnetic stirrer
23. SDS PAGE
17. Hot air oven
24. Mortar and pestle
18. Homogenizer
25. Petri dish rotator
19. Micropipette
20. Heating mantle
21. Shaking incubator
1. MICROSCOPE
The microscope is a device that
magnifies objects (or) organisms
that are too small to see with the
naked eye.
Parts: Eye lens, Objective lens,
Condenser, Beam of light,
Specimen stage, Aperture
diaphragm.
Principle:
Light is produced from either an internal (or) external light source and passes through the
iris diaphragm.
The light then passes through the condenser which focuses the light onto the specimen.
The objective lens magnifies the image of the specimen before the light travels through the
barrel of the microscope.
Finally light is passes through the eyepieces lens & into the viewer’s eye which sends
impulses to the brain which in turn interprets the image.
Uses:
In biological field, microscopes are used to study bacteria, cells and many more.
This device helps biologists in their study of living organisms and their cell structures.
2. ANALYTICAL BALANCE
An analytical balance is a type of
balance that is commonly used for the
measurement of mass in the sub-
milligram range.
They are made with a measuring pan
enclosed in a transparent covering that
prevents smalls particles (or) air currents
from getting collected on the pan.
An electromagnet is used to create a
force required to achieve a balance with
the mass of the substance, and the
resulting force is displayed.
Principle:
Modern electronic of magnetic force restoration.
Analytical balances are typically calibrated using known standards. This
ensures that the measurements are accurate and reliable.
Analytical balances are designed to detect very small changes in mass,
often to the nearest 0.1 milligram or even 0.01 milligram.
Uses:
Analytical balances are used in laboratories for weighing test materials and
sampling amounts, formulation, density determination, purity analysis, quality
control testing, and material and conformance testing.
3. DEEP FREEZER
A freezer is used to preserve
foods between 25 & 10degrees
fahrenheit for use usually within a
few weeks (or) months at most.
Principle:
Deep freezers are based on the principle that under extremely low
temperatures, there is minimum microbial growth which allows for the
protection and preservation of different substances.
Based on this principle, we can even preserve cultures over a long period
of time without any change in the concentration of the microorganisms.
Uses:
1. A deep freeze can be used for the preservation of different things used in
the laboratories for a very long period of time.
2. Deep freezers are used in laboratories to store and preserve medical
equipment, food items, blood samples, medicines, and injections, etc. for
a more extended period of time.
4. BUNSEN BURNER
Bunsen burner is a standard tool
used in laboratories, named after
Robert Bunsen.
It is a gas-fueled single open
flame.
Principle:
This burner is made with a metal tube on a flat base with a gas inlet at the bottom
of the tube, which may have an adjustable valve. On the sides of the tube are
openings which can be adjusted with a collar to control the amount of air that can
enter.
Once the burner is connected to a gas source, the gas is forced by the gas pressure
so that the gas reaches the top where the flame is ignited with a match or a lighter.
Uses:
1. It is commonly used for processes like sterilization, combustion, and heating. In
medical or microbiology laboratories, it is commonly used for micro-loop
sterilization.
5. LAMINAR AIR FLOW
Laminar Hood is a closed device
primarily for processes or
instruments sensitive to microbial
contamination.
Principle:
A Laminar Hood is made up of stainless steel, avoiding joints and corners
to prevent the accumulation of bacterial spores.
This device creates a sterile environment with the flow of sterile air
through a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and shortwave
ultraviolet germicidal lamp that sterilizes the workstation.
Laminar Air Flow has to turn on 15 minutes before to ensure complete
sterilization and the workstation should be cleaned with ethanol before and
after use.
Uses:
1. Laminar Hood is commonly used to conduct processes that are sensitive
to contamination.
2. It is used for experiments related to plant tissue culture and for the
experiments of genetic transformation.
7. WATER DISTILLER
A water distiller is a device that
purifies water by the process of
distillation.
This instrument is commonly
used in medical laboratories,
microbiology laboratories,
organic chemistry laboratories
and medical industries.
Principle:
A water distiller is based on the principle of distillation.
According to this process, water is first brought to a boil and then
condensed into liquid form to obtain pure distilled water.
Uses:
1. It is used to obtain distilled water required for many lab tests as well as
for the preparation of culture media.
8. VORTEX MIXTURE/VORTEXER
A vortex mixture is one of the
basic technologies used for the
mixing of samples in glass tubes
or flasks in laboratories.
Principle:
It is based on the simple principle of causing reactions and homogenization
by agitating the mixture.
Uses:
1. Vortex mixer is mostly used for the mixing of various sample fluids in the
sample tubes and also allows for the homogenization of cells and cell
organelles.
9. INCUBATOR
An incubator is a device that is
used in the laboratories for the
growth and maintenance of
microorganisms and cultures.
Incubator provides an optimal
temperature, pressure, moisture,
among other things required for
the growth of microorganisms.
Principle:
The incubator is based on the principle of maintaining a proper atmosphere for
the growth of microorganisms.
Incubators have a heating system that allows for the temperature within the
incubator to be adjusted according to the type of organism cultivated inside.
Similarly, they are provided with adjustments for maintaining the concentration
of CO2 to balance the pH and humidity required for the growth of the
organisms.
Variation of the incubator like a shaking incubator is also available, which
allows for the continuous movement of the culture required for cell aeration and
solubility studies.
Uses:
1. Incubators have a wide range of applications including cell culture,
pharmaceutical studies, hematological studies, and biochemical studies.
2. Incubators can also be used in the steam cell research area.
10. AUTOCLAVE
An autoclave is a pressurized chamber
used for the process of sterilization
and disinfection by combining three
factors: time, pressure and steam
Principle:
Autoclaves use steam as their sterilization agent. The basic principle of an
autoclave is that all the items within the autoclave come in direct contact
with the steam for a particular period irrespective of the nature of the
material- whether it is liquid, plastic ware, or glassware.
The amount of time and the temperature depends on the type of material
being sterilized and the increase in temperature of the cycle allows for
shorter periods.
Uses:
1. Autoclaves are mostly used for the sterilization of medical or laboratory
equipment with the capacity of sterilizing a large number of materials at
once.
2. They are commonly used for the preparation of culture media during
laboratory applications.
11. HEATING PLATE
A hot plate is a stand-alone
appliance used in microbiology
laboratories as a tabletop heating
system.
Principle:
Unlike the traditional ways of producing heat through the fire, a hot plate
produces heat by the flow of electricity.
On a hot plate, electricity runs through the coils which have a high level of
electrical resistance. The resistance in the coils converts the electrical energy
into heat energy which causes the coils to release heat.
Uses:
1. In a laboratory, hot plates are used to heat glassware and their components.
2. They are used over water baths as in water baths might be hazardous in
case of any spills or overheat.
12. CENTRIFUGE
Centrifuge is a instruments which
is used to separate the sample by
using centrifugal force.
Principle:
A centrifuge works on the principle of sedimentation, where the high speed
of the rotation causes the denser particles to move away from the center
while smaller, less dense particles are forced towards the center.
Thus, the denser particles settle at the bottom while the lighter particles are
collected at the top.
In a laboratory tabletop centrifuge, the sample tubes are aligned at an angle
so that the particles have to travel a shorter distance before they hit the
bottom.
Uses
1. The primary application of a centrifuge is the separation of particles
suspended in a suspension. It can be used for the separation of cell
organelles, nucleic acid, blood components, and separation of isotopes.
13. COLONY COUNTER
A colony counter is used to
estimate the density of a liquid
culture by counting the number of
CFU (colony forming units) on an
agar or culture plates.
Principle:
This instrument can accommodate different sizes of plates which are
scanned on top with UV, white light and/or fluorescent illumination.
One can accomplish the counting either manually with the touch
pressure or with a digital counter.
Uses:
1. A colony counter is primarily used for counting the number of
colonies present on a culture plate to estimate the concentration of
microorganisms in liquid culture.
16. MAGNETIC STIRRER
Magnetic Stirrer is a device
commonly used in microbiology
laboratories for the purpose of
mixing liquids.
Principle:
This device consists of a rotating magnetic or an electromagnet creating a
rotating magnetic field that allows the stir bar (a piece of heavy metal) to
move around in the vessel.
It is coupled with a heating system to heat the liquid while it mixed.
Uses:
1. It is usually used for mixing various liquid components in a mixture in a
chemical or microbiology laboratory.
2. This device is used in place of other stirrers as it is noise-free and because
the size of the stir bar is so tiny, there is less chance of contamination.
17. HOT AIR OVEN
A hot air oven is an electrical
device that is used for sterilization
of medical equipment or samples
using dry heat.
Hot air oven is a type of dry heat
sterilization which is performed
on dry materials and on
substances that do not melt or
catch fire under high temperature.
Principle:
There are two types of hot air oven based on the working principle
Forced air hot air oven: In this type of hot air oven, the heated air inside the
oven is distributed throughout the oven with a fan. This prevents the rising of
hot air towards the top while keeping the cold air at the bottom. This allows for
the adequate heating of materials inside the oven.
Static air hot air oven: In this type of oven, the heat is produced by coils
present at the bottom of the oven with no fan. The hot air rises and doesn’t
allow the effective sterilization of the materials.
The equipment inside the oven acquire heat and pass the heat towards the center,
one layer at a time which allows for effective dry heat sterilization.
Uses:
1. Hot air oven can be used to sterilize materials like glassware, metal equipment,
powders, etc.
2. It allows for the destruction of microorganisms as well as bacterial spores.
18. HOMOGENIZER
Homogenizer is a device used in
laboratories for the mixing of
various liquids and materials like
tissue, plant, food, soil, and many
others.
Principle:
This instrument is based on the principle that when large globules in coarse
emulsion are passed under high pressure through a narrow orifice, they
break down into smaller particles giving a more uniform and stable mixture.
A homogenizer has a metal rod with narrow parallel openings in the form of
a comb at the end which acts as the orifice for the homogenization process.
Uses:
1. A homogenizer is primarily used to disrupt cells to acquire cell
organelles for different microbiological processes.
2. It is used in the preparation step before the extraction and purification
of different macromolecules like proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.
19. MICROPIPETTE
Micropipettes are utilized in the
laboratory to transfer small
quantities of liquid, usually down
to 0.1µl.
Micropipettes are used by
attaching a disposable
polypropylene tip to reduce the
possibility of contamination.
Principle:
A plunger is depressed by the thumb and as it is released, liquid is drawn
into a disposable plastic tip.
When the plunger is pressed again the liquid is dispensed.
Uses:
1. Micropipettes are most commonly used in biology, chemistry, Forensic,
Pharmaceutical, drug discovery lab.
20. HEATING MANTLE
A heating mantle is a device.
which is used in laboratories to
heat certain media in glass
vessels.
Heating mantle is a good
alternative to heating baths.
Due to the various sizes of the
glass vessels, the exact amounts
of liquids which are necessary can
be heated.
Principle:
Heating mantles produce energy by converting AC voltage.
Intense energy is consumed to generate a high degree of required heat.
This can result in blowing of the socket (or) melting of the fuse.
For this reason, one should never connect the mantle directly to a wall socket,
instead, a transformer can be used.
Note that the mantle takes a while to heat up so you can pre-heat it if
required.
Remove the flask from the mantle once you turn off the heat for letting it cool
down.
Uses:
1. It is used in laboratories to heat certain media in glass vessels.
23. GEL ELECTROPHORESIS
Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory
method used to separate mixtures
of DNA, RNA,
or proteins according to
molecular size.
In gel electrophoresis, the
molecules to be separated are
pushed by an electrical field
through a gel that contains small
pores.
Principle:
Gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments by size in a solid support
medium. DNA samples are pipetted into the sample wells, seen as dark
slots at the top of the picture. Application of an electric current at the top
end causes the negatively-charged DNA to migrate (electrophoresis)
towards the bottom, end. The rate of migration is proportional to size:
smaller fragments move more quickly, and wind up at the bottom of the
gel.
DNA is visualized by including in the gel an intercalating dye, ethidium
bromide. DNA fragments take up the dye as they migrate through the
gel. Illumination with ultraviolet light causes the intercalated dye to
fluoresce with a pale pink colour.
Uses:
1. Electrophoresis is a technique commonly used in the lab to separate
charged molecules, like DNA, according to size.
25. MORTAR AND PESTLE
Mortar and pestle are implements
used since ancient times to
prepare ingredients or substances
by crushing and grinding them
into a fine paste or powder in the
laboratory, and pharmacy.
26. PETRIDISH ROTATOR
It is a laboratory device which is
used for spread the sample evenly.
Mostly used in spread plate
technique.
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