A laboratory is a facility that proposes controlled conditions where technological or scientific research, measurement, and experiments are performed. A laboratory service is provided in a huge array of settings, such as hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, and national and regional referral centers. Laboratory instruments remain exposed to many physical and chemical influences, and they must propose precise measurement results simultaneously. Again, these instruments ought to have a long life and propose safety to the users. Hence, lab instruments should be of superior quality and must be durable to meet the standards in lab technology.
Applications of general laboratory equipment
No matter whether your laboratory research includes working with cell culture, proteins, water, air, blood, or soil, key laboratory equipment will support different testing requirements. Commonly, lab equipment is found in:
- Diagnostic testing in medical laboratories.
- Research laboratories.
- Development and research.
- Quality Assurance.
- Educational laboratories.
To conclude, it can be said that wherever a laboratory is present, people will get general laboratory equipment.
To use laboratory equipment, you need to undertake some safety precautions:
- Do not come in contact with chemicals directly.
- Wear goggles and gloves so that you can do your job with chemicals safely.
- Follow every correct procedure when you perform tests utilizing laboratory equipment.
Common laboratory equipment
Following is the list of some usual laboratory equipment that is utilized in biochemistry and chemical laboratories:
Micropipette – This is a special laboratory equipment that is commonly utilized to measure liquids of a small volume. It makes it easier to transfer them. The measurements remain mentioned in the pipette, so it becomes possible to shift a small quantity of liquid to a container.
Centrifuges – A centrifuge is laboratory equipment that is found in various sizes and shapes. This equipment can separate the non-soluble components from the obtainable samples. So, it is utilized to separate cells from one medium.
Water Bath – A water bath is utilized to transfer heat to a specific volume of liquid. Again, it is also utilized to maintain the needed temperature of some cell culture medium bottles.
Magnetic stirrers – The magnetic stirrers work in the form of an automatic stirrer, and a magnetic bead does the job of stirring the solution.
Test tubes – Test tubes are regarded as common laboratory equipment utilized to collect different samples. A test tube is also important for heating and mixing some chemical solutions.
Glassware – It is the most important laboratory equipment. A few kinds of glassware utilized in a laboratory are flasks, beakers, etc. They seem to be important for storing, transferring, and measuring liquids.
Vital points to consider
From electrical equipment to chemicals, a laboratory reaps a huge range of safety hazards. This is the reason people need to be acquainted with the aspects of laboratory safety. Now, if any unfortunate thing happens, a person’s research project schedule can be affected badly. Again, it can also give rise to damage to equipment, and people can become injured. Therefore, when you work in a lab, you need to be acquainted with every lab equipment. Again, you need to be mindful of what other coworkers, peers, and researchers are using or doing around you.