Laboratory Techniques For Biologists Flashcards

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1
Q

What can present a hazard?

A

Substances, organisms and equipment in a laboratory

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2
Q

What is a Hazard?

A
  • A toxic or corrosive chemical
  • Heat or flammable substances
  • Pathogenic organisms
  • Mechanical equipment
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3
Q

What is a risk?

A

The likelihood of harm arising from exposure to a hazard

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4
Q

How can Biologists identify and control measures to minimise risks and reduce hazards?

A

Creating a risk assessment

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5
Q

What is a control measure?

A
  • Using appropriate handling techniques
  • Protective clothing and equipment
  • Aseptic techniques
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6
Q

What are linear dilutions?

A

When dilutions differ by an equal amount e.g. 0.1, 0.2, 0.3

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7
Q

What are log/serial dilutions?

A

Dilutions that differ by a constant proportion e.g. 0.1, 0.01, 0.001

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8
Q

What is a standard curve?

A

Plotting known measurements onto a graph to determine unknown measuremeants

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9
Q

How does a buffer control pH?

A

A buffer is a solution where adding acids or alkalis has very little effect on the pH. This allows pH in a reaction mixture to be kept constant.

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10
Q

What can a colorimeter be used for?

A

A colorimeter can be used to quantify concentration and turbidity (the cloudiness)

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11
Q

How do colorimeters work?

A
  • Before use the colorimeters need to be calibrated with an appropriate blank sample to provide a baseline reading.
  • Light is split into its component colours and filtered so there is one wavelength of light.
  • This is then passed through the sample solution where a detector picks up how much light has been absorbed by the sample or transmitted (passed through)
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12
Q

What can absorbance be used for?

A

To determine the concentration of a coloured solution using a suitable wavelength filter

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13
Q

What can percentage transmission be used for?

A

Percentage transmission can be used to determine turbidity, such as cells in suspension

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14
Q

How does centrifuge separate substances?

A

Samples are spun at incredibly fast speeds. More dense components settle to form the pellet whilst less dense components remain in the supernatant.

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15
Q

How does paper and thin layer chromatography separate different amino acids and sugars?

A

The speed that each solute travels along the chromatogram depends on its differing solubility in the solvent used.

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16
Q

How does affinity chromatography separate proteins?

A

A solid matrix or gel is created with specific molecules, usually receptors, bound to it. Soluble, target proteins in a mixture, with a high affinity for these molecules, become attached to them as the mixture passes down the column. Other non-target molecules with a weaker affinity are washed out.

17
Q

How does Gel electrophoresis separate proteins and nucleic acids?

A

Samples are loaded into wells in a gel which will have an electric current running through it. As they are usually charged molecules they will move towards the opposing charge. Smaller molecules will travel faster than larger molecules so they will travel further.

18
Q

How do native gels separate proteins?

A

They separate proteins by their shape, size, and charge, They do this by ensuring they do not denature the molecule.

19
Q

How do SDS-PAGEs separate proteins?

A

They separate by size alone. They do this by giving all molecules an equally negative charge and denature them.

20
Q

How do IEPs separate proteins from a mixture?

A

Proteins with different IEPs are loaded into a gel matrix. The proteins migrate towards the charges until they reach an area with the pH or their IEP. Proteins stop migrating as they have no net charge and precipitate out.

21
Q

What happens if the solution is buffered (IEP)?

A

Only the proteins that have an IEP of that pH will precipitate out.

22
Q

Explain the relationship between electrophoresis and IEPs

A

Proteins can be separated using their IEPs in electrophoresis

23
Q

What is immunoassay?

A

Its a technique which is used to detect and identify specific proteins.

24
Q

What do immunoassay techniques use?

A

Stocks of antibodies with the same specificity, known as monoclonal antibodies.

25
Q

What is linked to a chemical label?

A

An antigen that is specific to an antibody.

26
Q

What is a chemical label?

A

Often a reporter enzyme producing a colour change,.

27
Q

What is immunoassay used for?

A

Using a specific antigen to detect the presence of antibodies to test for diseases.

28
Q

What is western blotting?

A

A technique used after SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.

29
Q

How does western blotting work?

A

Once the proteins have been separated in the gel they are transferred or blotted onto a solid medium. The proteins can then be identified using specific antibodies with reporter enzymes attached.

30
Q

What is bright field microscopy?

A

Form of microscopy commonly used to observe whole organisms, parts of organisms, thin sections of dissected tissue or individual cells.

31
Q

What is Fluorescence Microscopy?

A

Form of microscopy which uses specific fluorescent labels to bind to and visualise certain molecules or structures within cells or tissues.

32
Q

What does an aseptic technique do?

A

Eliminates unwanted microbial contaminants when culturing micro-organisms or cells

33
Q

How can a microbial culture be started?

A

Using an inoculum of microbial cells on an agar medium, or in a broth with suitable nutrients.

34
Q

What are animal cells grown in?

A

A medium containing growth factors from serum. The growth factors promote growth and proliferation.

35
Q

What is the difference between primary and tumour cells

A

Primary cell lines can divide a limited number of times, whereas tumour cell lines can perform unlimited divisions.

36
Q

How can the number of colony-forming units be counted and the density of the cells in the culture be estimated?

A

Plating out of a liquid microbial culture on solid media.

37
Q

Why is a serial dilution often used?

A

To achieve a suitable colony count

38
Q

What is a haemocytometer and what does it do?

A

Specialised microscope cells which are used to estimate cell numbers in a liquid culture.

39
Q

What is needed in order to identify and count living cells?

A

Vital staining is required, any living cells will absorb the stain whilst non-living cells do not.