I-Year MBBCh

Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory

Laboratory Safety, Glassware and Instruments

1. Laboratory safety
Dos: Wear Lab coat, gloves, shoes Use gloves to handle biological samples and harmful chemicals Maintain a laboratory note book Keep sharps, and other waste in dust bin Handle glass ware carefully Add acid to water slowly Label the reagent containing bottles Mix strong chemicals in sink Use three pin plugs to connect instruments to electricity Switch on instruments at least 10 minutes before the use Use CO2 or foam or dry chemicals to extinguish the fire Keep the laboratory clean Wash hands before you leave the laboratory Report the instructor in case of any problem Donts Do not eat, drink, smoke and play in the laboratory Do not smell or taste the reagents, chemicals or specimens Do not apply cosmetics Do not wear contact lenses Do not throw solid waste in sink Do not waste the reagents and chemicals Do not do mouth pipetting of samples or harmful reagents Do not rub sensitive body parts (eye, nose, mouth) in the laboratory Do not connect more than one instrument to an electrical socket Do not touch electrical instruments with wet hands

Pradeep Kumar. G

I-Year MBBCh

Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory

2. Glass ware:
Glassware used in the laboratory is made up of borosilicate (glass mixed with boron oxide) Borosilicate can tolerate high heat than glass The general laboratory glass ware is divided in to two types I. Glass ware used for the measuring of the liquid II. Glassware used for mixing and transfer and heating of the liquid I. Glass ware used for the measuring of the liquid i. Pipette: used to measure and transfer the liquids There are three types of pipettes a. Volumetric pipettes : Used to transfer a fixed volume of the liquid, eg: Ostwald-folin pipette

b. Graduated pipettes: Used to deliver different volumes of the liquid, eg: Serological pipette

c. Pasture pipette: Do not contain fixed volume or graduation, hence used to transfer small unmeasured quantities of liquid

ii. Burette : Used to transfer different volumes of liquid for titration

iii. Measuring cylinder: Used to measure the volume of a liquid iv. Volumetric flask: Used to prepare a fixed volume of a solution

Measuring cylinder

Volumetric flask

II. Glassware used for mixing and transfer and heating of the liquid

e. Beaker

f. Erlenmeyer flask

g. Florence flask

Pradeep Kumar. G

I-Year MBBCh

Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory

3. Laboratory Instruments:
Important clinical biochemistry laboratory instruments are i. Micro pipettes: Used to transfer liquid in micro liter quantities ii. Water Bath: Used to maintain constant temperature for reactions and to heat the solutions iii. Refrigerator: Used to store heat sensitive chemicals, reagents, kits and biological samples iv. Centrifuge: Used to separate particulate matter in solution based on density Based on speed centrifuges are divided in to Low speed, High speed and Ultra centrifuges v. Spectrophotometer: Used to measure the concentration of biomolecules based on their ability to absorb light

vi. Balance: Used to measure the weight of chemicals

Pradeep Kumar. G