Biochemistry (Lab) Module 1 

Water Bath - It is used to heat the sample to a specific temperature. Should be equipped with a digital thermometer display and a temperature range of up to 1000C or higher.

\ Volumetric Flask - This is used to prepare a solution of known concentration (standard solution).

Capacity of Volumetric Flasks:

  • 25 mL
  • 50 mL
  • 100 mL
  • 250 mL
  • 500 mL
  • 1000 mL

\ Test Tube - It is designed to hold liquid and chemicals; they are transparent, making it easy for you to view what you have poured into each one, transport liquids and sometimes even measure chemicals

\ Beakers - wider and bigger than regular test tubes, have a flat bottom. Used to hold, mix, and heat liquids. Special containers used in measuring liquid to perform an experiment or chemical reaction.

\ Dropper - helps to add liquids or other solutions drop-wise, leaving no room for mistakes, used for moving small amounts of liquid from place to place

\ Pipette - measures liquid substance and allows one to transfer liquids from bottles with small necks into a new container. Used to draw liquids into a pipe.

\ Pasture Pipette - used to transfer small quantities of liquid, glass tubes tapered to a narrow point. with rubber bulb, also known as teat pipette

\ Spatula - used to draw dry chemicals from reagent bottles, used for moving small amounts of solids from place to place

\ Stirring Rod - helps with mixing several liquids while heating them in a workroom.

\ Watch glass - used for chemical tests and medical organizations, can hold samples of substances required for tests, weighing heating, etc.

\ Wire Gauze - designed to help in heating glassware without directly getting in contact with the burner or flame. Protects glass tubes from being shocked by the fire and be broken into pieces.

\ Analytical Balance - generally used to weigh chemicals and/or samples. Electronic single pan balances

\ Triple Beam Balance - measures mass very precisely, reading error of +/- 0.05 grams, name refers to three beams:

  • Middle beam- largest
  • front beam - medium size
  • far beam - smallest size

pH Meter - used to determine the pH of a food product through a potential difference between a glass and calomel electrode

\ Bunsen Burner - heats various chemicals to create a particular reaction and also works as a sterilizer, can be a natural gas or LPG such as propane, butane or both

\ Wingtop or Fishtail - spreads out the heat of the bunsen burner over a large area, uised to bend glass manipulation process.

\ Tirril Burner - air and gas device like a Bunsen Burner but with extra adjustments that provide better temperature control and flame size, has a gas regulator

\ Meker-Fisher Burner - produces multiple open gas flames used for heating, sterilization and combustion, used when work requires better flame than Bunsen Burner

\ Glass Tubing - used to connect other pieces of lab equipment, can be cut, bent, and stretched

\ Rubber Tubing - often connected to a condenser, a lab tool used in distillation, helps cool water flow in and out of the condenser and helps heated water vapor in the condenser to return to liquid state

\ Adapter - used in distillation set-up, connects lower end of condenser and directs distilled liquid into the receiving flask

\ Thermometer - measuring temperature

\ Tripod - is a stand with three legs that can support the heating wire gauze during experiments

\ Test Tube Brush - used in cleaning the test tubes

\ Beaker Tongs - used to pick up beakers

\ Crucible Tongs - used to hold crucibles

\ Crucibles - used in holding chemicals during high temperature heating

\  Evaporating Dish - used to hold liquids for evaporation

\ Graduated Cylinder - used to measure a precise volume of liquid

\ Mortar and Pestle - used to crush and grind materials, pestle is the heavy stick for pounding, mortar is the bowl

\ Clay triangle - used to support a crucible during heating

\ Test tube clamp - used to hold a test tube when hot

\ Test tube Rack - used to hold several test tubes at one time

\ Erlenmeyer Flask - triangular small-necked container used to hold and mix chemicals. Small neck is essential in avoiding spillage during mixing

\ Funnel - used to transfer materials in containers with small openings, also used for filtration.

\ Buchner Funnel - used to suction filtration

\ Thistle Tube - shaft of tube with a reservoir and funnel like section at the tops, used by chemists to add liquid to an existing system of apparatus

\ Alcohol Burners - preferred over Bunsen Burners for safety purposes, limited to approximately 5 cm in height with a lower temperature compared to Bunsen burner

\ Hot plate - used for heating substances and liquids in beakers and flasks

\ Iron Stand - supports and holds items in a heating set up.

\ Iron Clamps/Rings - supports and keeps the wire gauze and container above the burners when heating

\ Weigh boat - used for weighing solids on a balance

\ DIFFERENT LABORATORY SET-UPS

\ Distillation Set-up - used for many commercial processes such as the production of gasoline, distilled water, xylene, alcohol, paraffin, kerosene, and many other liquids. Gas may be liquefied and separate.

\ Evaporation Set-up - process whereby atoms or molecules in a liquid state (or solid-state if the substance sublimes) gain sufficient energy to enter the gaseous state

\ Filtration Set-up - process of separating the suspended solid matter from a liquid by causing the latter to pass through the pores of some substance called a filter.

filtrate - liquid that has passed through the filter

\ Gas Collection Set-up - collection of gas from a solution

water displacement - process wherein gas produced in a chemical reaction can be collected

\ Extraction Set-up - separation process consisting of the separation of a substance from a matrix.

Examples: liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction

partition theory - distribution of solute between two phases, an equilibrium condition.

\ Sublimation Set-Up - substance changes from solid to gas without entering the liquid phase. example: dry ice, solid CO2