Inoculating loops and needles are hand held laboratory instruments used in microbiology. These are used to pick and transfer small amount of microorganisms from one culture medium to another. The small amount of microorganism which is transferred is called inoculum. These instruments are also called smear loops, inoculation wands or microstreakers. They have a handle, … Read more

Colorimeter is a light sensitive analytical instrument used to measure absorbance and transmittance of light. It measures selected wavelength of light when it passes through a coloured solution. It is mainly used for finding the concentration of coloured solution. The working of colorimeter is based on Beer-Lambert law. According to this law, the amount of … Read more

Hot air oven is a specialized laboratory and industrial equipment used for dry heat sterilization, drying and thermal processing. It is an electrical device having thermostatically controlled insulated chamber, where hot air is circulated. The normal temperature range is about 50°C to 300°C. It is mainly used for sterilization of materials which are heat-resistant but … Read more

Gel electrophoresis system is a laboratory setup used for separation of charged biological molecules. It is used for DNA, RNA and proteins. It contains a gel box, gel matrix, running buffer and power supply. The gel matrix may be agarose or polyacrylamide. The buffer conducts electric current and keeps the molecules moving properly. When electric … Read more

Alcohol burner is a small laboratory heating instrument used for gentle heating and sterilization. It is also called spirit lamp. It is made up of glass, brass, aluminium or stainless steel. It has a fuel reservoir and a cap with cotton wick. Some burners may also have wickless copper tube. The fuel used in alcohol … Read more

Bunsen burner is a laboratory instrument used for heating, sterilization and burning of substances. It gives an open flame. The flame can be controlled by changing the air supply. It uses gas like natural gas, propane or butane. The gas enters into the burner tube and mixes with air. Then the mixture burns at the … Read more

Colony counter is an instrument used in microbiology laboratory for counting microbial colonies grown on agar plate. It is used for bacteria, yeast, fungi and other microorganisms. It counts the number of Colony Forming Units (CFU) present on the plate. Each colony is considered as formed from one viable microbial cell or group of cells. … Read more

Two pan analytical balance is a classical weighing instrument used for measuring mass of an object. It is also called equal arm analytical balance because both arms of the beam are equal in length. It works on the principle of first class lever. The beam is supported at the centre on a sharp knife-edge. This … Read more

Single pan mechanical balance is a precise weighing instrument used for measuring mass of a sample. It is also called unequal arm mechanical balance because the two arms of the beam are not equal in length. It works on the law of moments or lever principle. The balance has a horizontal beam which rests on … Read more

Triple beam balance is a mechanical instrument used for measuring the mass of an object. It does not need electricity. So it can be used in ordinary laboratory and classroom. It measures mass, not weight. So the reading is not changed by local gravity like weight. The mass is measured by balancing the object with … Read more