Biochemistry
Laboratory
Apparatus
Introduction
•In clinical biochemistry, a number of apparatus and
equipments is used in laboratory for the testing of the
sample solution and identifying their result.
•This result is helpful for the clinician in diagnosis,
treating and monitoring the disease.
•Laboratory apparatus include glassware and plastic-
ware.
Glassware
•Glassware is made up of borosilicate (silicate
containing boron dioxide)
•Resistant to acid, alkali, corrosion, temperature,
radiation, etc.
•Low coefficient of expansion.
•Commonly used glassware's are conical flasks,
volumetric flasks, beakers, test tubes, measuring
cylinders, pipettes, reagents bottles, etc
Plastic-ware
•Plastic-ware is made up of high density
polyethylene and Teflon.
•Advantages- unbreakable and can be used for
highly acidic and alkaline solutions.
•They are inert in nature.
•Disadvantages- tendency to bind various solutes
and later release them in to solution.
Measuring Cylinders:
•Long stem and round or
octagonal base.
•Sidewall has marking of various
volumes and this is used to
measure the volume.
•It is available in various
capacities from 10-2000 ml
Temperature
indicates that at
20°C this cylinder 250 ± 2ml means it
is calibrated measures 250ml and has
a marking every 2ml
increment
100:1ml means
What would you count by to read the count by 1
measuring cylinders below?
50:1ml means
25:0.5ml means
count by 1
count by 0.5
10:0.2ml means
count by 0.2
How to read the volume of a liquid in a measuring
cylinder?
•The meniscus is the U-shaped at the upper surface of the
liquid in a tube.
•Always measure volume at the bottom line of the
meniscus.
•Always look straight from the side of the
meniscus.
Graduated Cylinders:
Volumetric flask:
Stopper
•Round lower portion
•Flat bottom
Calibrated
•Long narrow neck with stopper. line
•Calibrated line is marked. Narrow
neck
•Used to prepare a specific
volumes of reagents (standard Rounded
lower
solution). portion
•Different volumes 10mL - 5L. Flat
bottom
Different volumes of volumetric flask
Conical flask:
Narrow neck
•Wide bottom
•Narrow neck
•It helps in the titration or
mixing of a solute in a Wide bottom
solution.
Different volumes of conical flask
500ml
250ml
125ml
Beaker:
•Flat bottom and a straight
wall with a wide opening.
•It has marked on its
Sidewall.
•Used to store various
volumes of solution.
Different volumes of beaker
Vials or Vaccutainer:
• A vial (also known as a phial or flacon) is a small glass or plastic
vessel or bottle, often used to store medication such as liquids,
powders or capsules.
• Modern vials are often made out of plastic or sometimes glass.
• Following are most commonly used vials in lab:
1. Lavender vial
2. Red vial
3. Light Blue vial
4. Green vial
5. Yellow vial
6. Royal blue vial
7. Grey vial
8. Black vial
9. Culture vials
Vials:
Blood
Collection
Vials
Culture Vials
Yellow
vaccutainer
• Most commonly
used in
biochemistry
( EXAM QUESTION)
Pipettes:
•Long tube of uniform diameter.
•Narrow upper end for sucking the fluid.
•Gradually tapering narrow lower end to allow the
steady an easy sucking and delivery of the liquid.
•Pipette is used to disperse a very accurately volume of
liquid.
Pipette classification
According to design:
TC pipette TD pipette
Meniscus
TC pipette holds
or contains a
particular volume
but does not
dispense that exact
volume, whereas
TD pipette will
dispense that exact
volume indicated.
According to drainage
Blowout pipette:
•Two continuous ring at the
top
•Marking till the tip
•Last drop of liquid should
be expelled into the
receiving vessel.
Self-draining pipette:
•Pipette drain by gravity.
Blowout pipette
Blow out pipette
Self-draining pipette
Types of measuring pipette:
a. Mohr type: Mohr pipette does not have
graduations till the tip and it is a self-draining
type.
b. Serological type: Serological pipette has
graduation till the tip and is blowout type.
Transfer pipette: Designed to deliver a specific volume
alone.
They are of the following types:
1. Volumetric: This type of pipette has a bulb in it and
it is a self-draining type.
2. Ostwald-Folin: This type of pipette has a bulb in it
and is a blowout type.
3. Pasteur: No calibration mark, not used for the
quantitative test.
Pasteur pipette (plastic)
Pasteur pipette (glass)
Micro-pipettes
•Used - transfer volume from 1µL -1000 µL(1mL)
•Easy to use and accuracy is high
•Time saving
•Precautions: While handling auto-pipette is to
check their volume and calibration.
Tips
•Pipettes use a
detachable part
attached to the lower
end called tip
Fixed volume miniature pipette
Fixed volume 25µl
Variable Volume micro-pipette
Range 20-200µl
Burette:
•Structure- Long, graduated big
•Stopcock at the lower end.
•Volume ranges from 25 to 100 ml.
•It is used to dispense the desired volume of liquid
drop by drop.
Burette
Stopcock
Burette stand
Test tube
•Test tubes is made of
glass (borosilicate
glass or fused quartz)
•It is resistant to heat
•Mainly used for
qualitative experiments
and assays.
Test tubes with stand and holder
Test tube stand
Test tube
holder
Serum tubes Micro-centrifuge
tubes
Test tubes
Funnel
•Tube or pipe, wide at top and narrow at
bottom.
•Used for guiding liquid or powder into a small
opening.
•Made up of glass, or plastic.
Different size of funnel
Funnel stand/ tripod
Reagent bottles
•Made up of glass, plastic, borosilicate or related
substances
•Topped by special caps or stoppers.
•Contain chemicals in liquid or powder form.
Different volumes of reagent
Stopper bottles
Proper Disposal:
• Blue colour waste bin is used for all
glassware disposal.
• Ensure that others aren't injured by
improperly disposed of broken glass.
• Place contaminated broken glass
biological sharps in rigid, puncture-
resistant container (e.g. sharps
container).
• For biologically contaminated broken
glass, closed and sealed container
should be placed in bio-hazardous
waste box for disposal.
• For chemically contaminated broken
glass, closed and sealed containers
should be tagged as chemical waste.
Proper Disposal:
Litmus paper
•Litmus is to test whether a
solution is acidic or basic.
•Litmus paper, turns red
in acidic solutions
•Blue in alkaline solutions
Other laboratory
apparatus
Cover-slip
Spatula
Slide
Glass-rod
Spatula - used for scraping, transferring, or
applying powders and paste.
Glass-rod - used to mix chemicals.
Cover-slip - used to keep solid specimens pressed
flat, and liquid samples shaped into a flat layer of
even thickness.
Slide - It is a long thin piece of glass that
specimens are placed on for study under a
microscope.
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