Microscopy Test 1 Flashcards
What are 6 hazards related to microscopy?
1) Manual Handling
2) Electrical hazard
3) Ergonomics
4) Slips, trips & falls
5) Biological hazard
6) Chemical hazard
Who would you report a hazard or incident to?
Supervisor or lecturer
What is the procedure to follow in the event of a chemical spill?
(~9 steps, doesn’t have to be word-for-word)
1) Alert surrounding people
2) Check self for contamination
3) Check if wearing correct PPE for spill clean
4) Cover spill & surrounds with absorbent material
5) Pour fresh 10% bleach over spill, leave for 30min contact
6) Remove sharp/other objects via necessary means
7) Clean area with 10% bleach solution
8) Decontaminate reusable cleanup items & self
9) Alert surrounding people that cleanup has finished
What is the procedure for faulty or unsafe equipment?
1) Isolate power & unplug if not already done
2) Remove from area of use if practical
3) Tag & date “out of service” tag
4) Inform supervisor or relevant personnel
What are artefacts in microscopy?
Artificial structure or tissue alteration on a prepared slide.
(something visible that shouldn’t be there)
What are three examples of artefacts in microscopy? How can they be prevented or dealt with?
Air bubbles
- gently tapping coverslip
- laying coverslip from 45 degree angle
Fingerprints
- clean coverslip with Kim wipe
- wear gloves when handling slides
Hair
- clean coverslip and slide with Kim wipe
- tie long hair back
What are 7 characteristics associated with specimens in light microscopy?
1) Shape & size
2) Presence of contamination
3) colour
4) consistency & variability
5) number of cells
6) type of cells
7) colour/staining & morphology
What is another name for a compound light microsope? What are its key uses?
Brightfield
Standard laboratory microscope
What are characteristics of a darkfield microscope?
Producing a bright image on a dark background.
Staining not required.
Useful for live specimens
What are characteristics of a phase contrast microscope?
Uses refraction & interference caused by structures in the specimen.
Creates high-contrast, high-resolution images.
Staining not required.
What are characteristics of a polarising microscope?
Plane-polarised light interacts with a birefringent.
Used to examine features of crystals to aid in identification.
What are characteristics of a transmission microscope (TEM)?
Electron beams pass through a specimen to visualise small images.
Useful for small, thin specimens.
What are characteristics of a scanning microscope (SEM)?
Uses electron beams to visualise surfaces.
Produces a 3D image.
What is an example of sustainability in the lab?
Reusing 5ml micropipette tips
What are 3 sources of waste within the laboratory?
1) Using too much reagent
2) Preparing excess slides
3) Using an excess amount of gloves
What is confidentiality?
The obligation of organisations that collect information to ensure that no person or organisation is likely to be identified from any data released.
Why is confidentiality important?
Maintains community goodwill + cooperation
Breaches of confidentiality can have legal consequences (fines, jail time)
What is the name of WA’s act dealing with the protection of health information?
Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988
What are 6 different samples requiring microscopic examination in a pathology laboratory?
1) Yeast cells
2) Blood
3) Animal tissue
4) Plant tissue
5) Algae
6) Bacteria
