1A3 Lab Equipment and Safety Flashcards
Describe how to safely use and dispose of chemicals, lab equipment, and biological specimens.
What is the most common way to measure length in a biology lab?
Ruler
What instrument is commonly used to measure the mass of objects in a biology lab?
Balance
What instrument is used to measure an object or substance’s temperature in a biology lab?
Thermometer
What common piece of equipment is used in a biology lab to measure the volume of a substance that will be mixed and/or poured into another container?
Graduated cylinder
What piece of equipment is more accurate for measuring volume than a beaker in a biology lab?
Graduated cylinder
What type of flask is commonly used in a biology lab to hold liquids but is not generally used to mix anything?
Erlenmeyer flask
What type of flask is useful for boiling liquids in a biology lab?
Florence flask
What is the name of the piece of equipment used in a biology lab to add one drop of liquid at a time?
Eyedropper
or pipette
What type of pipette is used to get an exact volume of liquid in a biology lab?
Volumetric pipette
What piece of heating equipment in a biology lab produces a single flame to heat substances?
Bunsen burner
What is the electric source of heat commonly used in a biology lab?
Hot plate
What are the protective pieces of equipment used during dissection in a biology lab?
- Protective eyewear
- Gloves
What piece of equipment is commonly used in a biology lab to hold liquids for observation and running reactions?
Test tube
What is commonly used to hold test tubes in a biology lab if there are many of them?
Test tube holder
Also known as a test tube rack.
What are the main activities performed in a biology lab?
- Measure
- Test
- Observe
What are some fundamental techniques involved in handling biological and chemical materials?
Preparing, identifying, storing, dispensing, disposing of substances.
What are biological specimens?
Any biological tissues, fluids, or organisms.
Biological specimens may be used to learn about anatomy, physiology, bio-chemical processes, disease, health, nutrition and more.
What precautions should be taken when preparing and storing standard molar or percent solutions?
- Uncap solutions for minimum time.
- Use volumetric pipette at room temperature.
- Store in appropriate containers.
- Replace stock solutions regularly.
- Store photosensitive solutions in dark place.
Precautions help avoid issues like contamination and evaporation.
What are solutions?
Homogeneous mixtures of one or more substances.
A liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent) to form a homogeneous mixture.
What precautions should be taken when working with lab samples?
- Wear gloves (latex or nitrile).
- Wear a face mask or shield.
- Wear goggles.
- Wear gowns, booties, specialized clothing, or hazmat suits when needed.
Why is identification of lab samples critical?
So experimental procedures aren’t compromised and others know what’s in the container.
What factors should be considered when storing chemical and biological samples?
- Interaction with light, temperature, moisture.
- Refrigeration for effectiveness.
- Dark beakers to avoid breakdown by light.
- Dry place to avoid disintegration by humidity.
- Do not store near heat.
- Record the date opened on the container.
How should chemical and biological substances be disposed of?
According to facility guidelines, never in plain garbage bags, flushed down a toilet, or into the sink.
Some substances may need to be soaked up by or mixed with neutralizing materials before being trashed, while others may need to be dumped into special hazardous waste receptacles. The MSDS should be checked before disposing of any chemicals or specimens to ensure proper disposal.
What is the MSDS?
Materials Safety Data Sheet
A document that provides information about potentially hazardous chemicals and how to properly handle and dispose of them.