Ecological Succession – Definition, Types, Mechanism, Examples

Ecological Succession - Definition, Types, Mechanism, Examples

What is Ecological Succession? Ecological Succession Definition Ecological succession is the systematic and predictable process by which species composition in an ecosystem changes over time, progressing from initial colonization to a mature and stable community. Characteristics of Ecological Succession Ecological succession is a fundamental concept in the realm of ecology, delineating the sequential transformation of … Read more

Pyramid of Numbers – Definition, Types, Importance, Examples

Pyramid of Numbers - Definition, Types, Importance, Examples

What is Pyramid of Number? The Pyramid of Numbers is a graphical representation used in ecology to illustrate the distribution of various species in different trophic levels of a food chain. This pyramid provides a quantitative analysis, showing the number of individual organisms present at each trophic level. Unlike other ecological pyramids which might consider … Read more

Autoclave – Principle, Parts, Procedure, Mechanism, Uses

Autoclave - Definition, Principle, Parts, Operating Procedure, Uses

Autoclave is a sterilizing instrument that is used to sterilize culture media, glasswares, surgical instruments and other materials by steam under pressure. It is a strong metallic chamber with a tight lid. The materials are kept inside the chamber. Then steam is passed into the chamber after removing air. Autoclave works at 121°C temperature and … Read more

Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) – Principle, Steps, Applications

COVID-19 Diagnostic Test through RT-PCR

Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) is a molecular technique used to detect and amplify RNA. It is used because normal PCR cannot directly amplify RNA. In this technique, RNA is first converted into complementary DNA (cDNA). This conversion is done by the enzyme reverse transcriptase. The formed cDNA is more stable than RNA and it works … Read more

Repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) – Principle, Steps, Uses

Repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) - Principle, Steps, Uses

Repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) is a molecular technique used to produce genetic fingerprint of bacteria and fungi. It is used for identification and classification of microorganisms at species, subspecies or strain level. It is based on the presence of repetitive DNA sequences in microbial genome. These sequences are non-coding and occur in many copies. In … Read more

Nanoparticle-Assisted PCR (nanoPCR) – Definition, Principle, Steps, Applications

Nanoparticle-Assisted PCR (nanoPCR)

Nanoparticle-Assisted PCR (nanoPCR) is an advanced modification of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in which small nanoparticles are added into the PCR reaction mixture. These nanoparticles are usually 1-100 nm in size and they help in better amplification of DNA. It is used to increase the efficiency, sensitivity, specificity and speed of the PCR reaction. Gold … Read more

Types of PCR with Definition, Principle, and Uses

Types of PCR with Definition, Principle, and Uses

Types of PCR Here is the list of Types of PCR based on different categories; 1. Conventional PCR Conventional PCR is the basic type of PCR in which target DNA is amplified by repeated temperature cycles. It is also called end-point PCR or traditional PCR. In this method, detection of amplified DNA is done only … Read more

PCR Machine – Principle, Parts, Types Steps, Applications

PCR Machine - Definition, Principle, Parts, Types Steps, Applications, Examples

PCR Machine is an automated laboratory instrument that is used to amplify small segment of DNA or RNA into millions or billions of copies. It is also known as thermal cycler or DNA amplifier. It contains a thermal block where reaction tubes containing sample, primers, nucleotides and polymerase enzyme are placed. The machine changes the … Read more

Electroporator – Principle, Types, Protocol, Applications

Electroporator – Definition, Principle, Types, Protocol, Applications

Electroporator is a specialized electronic pulse generator that is used to deliver controlled high-voltage electrical pulses to biological cells. It is used in electroporation process for temporary opening of the cell membrane. It acts on the lipid bilayer membrane of the cell and makes small aqueous pores for short time. Through these pores, different macromolecules … Read more

Micropipettes – Parts, Types, Applications, Techniques

Micropipettes – Parts, Types, Applications, Techniques

Micropipette is a laboratory instrument that is used to measure and transfer very small volume of liquid in microliter range. It is highly accurate instrument and commonly used in molecular biology, chemistry and clinical diagnostic laboratory. It works by a piston mechanism which creates suction and draws liquid into a disposable plastic tip. The volume … Read more

Column Chromatography – Principle, Steps, Parts, Uses, Advantages

Column Chromatography - Procedure, Instruments, Application, Advantages

Chromatography is a laboratory analytical technique which is used to separate a chemical mixture into its individual components. It is used for identification, purification and estimation of different substances present in a mixture. It separates the components according to their different movement through two phases. In this technique, the mixture is distributed between a mobile … Read more

Spectrophotometer – Principle, Parts, Types, Mechanism, Uses

Spectrophotometer - Principle, Parts, Types, Mechanism, Uses

Spectrophotometer is an analytical instrument which is used to measure the light absorbed, transmitted or reflected by a substance at particular wavelength. It has a light source, sample holder and detector. The liquid sample is kept in a cuvette. Then the beam of light is passed through the sample. The detector detects the light which … Read more