Laboratory Techniques and Microbiology

These flashcards cover key laboratory techniques and concepts in microbiology, including pipetting, culture media types, staining methods, and molecular biology applications.

Mohr pipet

A type of pipet used for measuring and transferring liquid volumes, characterized by a graduated scale.

Micropipette

A laboratory tool used to measure and transfer very small volumes of liquid, with adjustable volume settings.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that measures the absorbance or transmittance of a solution at a specific wavelength of light.

Blanking

The process of calibrating a spectrophotometer using a cuvette filled with the solvent to set the baseline absorbance to zero.

Standard curve

A graph used to determine the concentration of an unknown sample by comparing its absorbance to a set of known standards.

General Media

Base nutrient media that supports the growth of a wide variety of organisms, examples include Mueller-Hinton and Tryptic Soy Agar.

Selective Media

A type of growth medium that supports the growth of specific bacteria while inhibiting others, such as MacConkey's Agar.

Differential Media

A medium that distinguishes between different organisms based on their metabolic activities, resulting in color changes.

Gram Stain

A method of staining bacterial cells to classify them as Gram-positive or Gram-negative based on their cell wall structure.

Kirby-Bauer test

A technique to determine the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics based on the zones of inhibition around antibiotic discs.

Trypan Blue

A dye used to differentiate between dead and live cells; dead cells absorb the dye and appear blue.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A technique used to amplify DNA by repeating cycles of denaturation, annealing, and elongation.

Electrophoresis

A laboratory technique used to separate molecules, such as DNA, based on size and charge by applying an electric field.

ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay)

A plate-based assay technique designed to detect and quantify proteins, antibodies, or hormones.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol under anaerobic conditions.

Transformation

The process by which a bacterial cell takes up foreign DNA from its environment.

Plasmid

A small, circular piece of DNA found in bacteria that is separate from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently.

Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC)

A method used to separate proteins based on their hydrophobic properties.

Bradford Assay

A colorimetric assay for determining the concentration of protein in a solution using Coomassie blue dye.