Glassware

glassware used in clinical biochemistry lab

1. Introduction to lab glassware , plastic ware and their uses

2. glassware Composition of glassware:- Laboratory glassware is usually manufactured from borosilicate glass. It is resistant to the action of chemicals with the exception of hydrofluoric acid. It is made up withstand mechanical breakage and a sudden change of temp. the main components of borosilicate glass are:- Silica:-80.6% Boric oxide:-12.6% Sodium oxide:-4.15% Aluminium oxide :2.2%

3. Beaker These have capacities from 5to 5000ml. They are generally in a square form , which is cylindrical and has a spout. These are used mainly for preparation of solutions.

4. flask These have capacities of 25-5000ml. These are of different types : Conical flask:- These are used for performing titration and for boiling the solution, since evaporation is min. because of the conical shape .

5. Flat bottomed flask:- These are mainly used for heating liquids. Round bottomed flasks: - These can withstand higher temp. They may be heated in a naked flame. Volumetric flasks:- They are flat bottomed pear shaped vessels with long narrow necks with a specific vol. mark and fitted with a stopper. These are mainly used to make final vol. of the reagent very accurately.

6. Flat bottomed flask Round bottomed flasks Volumetric flasks

7. Measuring cylinders They are available in 10-2000ml. They are used to measure quantity of the liquid. A high degree of accuracy is not possible because of wide bore.

8. Reagent bottles They are available in 25-5000ml capacities. They are cylindrical have narrow necks and fitted with stopper made up of plain glass or amber colored glass . Amber colored bottles are used to store certain reagents which are flammable and light sensitive .

9. Burettes They are used for measuring variable quantities of liquid. They are available in capacities of 1 to 100 ml. They are long graduated tubes of uniform bore and are closed at the lower end by means of glass stopcock. These are used for titration and also to dispense corrosive reagents.

10. funnels These are available in variety of range for the separation of:- Solids from liquids Liquid from liquids For pouring liquid , chemicals or solutions into a container The commonly used funnels are of diameter of 50, 65,75, and 100 mm.

11. Test tubes These are of uniform thickness & withstand mechanical & thermal shocks. Tubes with rim are preferred when reagent in a tube is directly heated on the flame with test tube holder. The commonly used test tube in biochemistry is 15×125 mm

12. Pipettes These are used for dispensing controlled quantities of liquids and are classified as:- Graduated pipettes Serological Mohar Volumetric pipettes

13. Graduated pipettes These are available from 0.1 to 10ml capacities. The graduation are durable, resistant to chemical attack and normal washing. They are available both in class A and class B accuracies. Class A pipettes are very accurate and used for quantitative determination.

14. Serological pipettes These are graduated pipettes marked up to the tip. These are mainly used for pipetting reagents . However 0.1 & 0.2 ml pipettes are used for pipetting specimen like blood ,serum, plasma as well as different standards. These are mainly used to perform serological tests.

15. Mohar pipettes These are graduated above the tip so that even if the tip is broken these can be used for their full capacities. The use is the same as that of serological pipettes . These are not convenient to perform serological test.

16. Volumetric pipettes These pipettes are not graduated but designed specifically with a central bulb to designed specific quantity of the specimen. These pipettes are more accurate.

17. Pasteur pipettes These pipettes can be prepared in the laboratory by using glass tubing. These are used by attaching rubber teats for the separation of serum & plasma from the cells. In qualitative determination , few drops of specimen are required to perform a test.

18. Pasteur pipettes