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Name: ROSABIA, Micaela Pauline J. Date of Experiment: __________

Year and Section: BSN 1-A Date of Submission: __________

Experiment No 2 Glasswares and Apparatus Used in Microbiology and

Parasitology

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:
1. Distinguish the various equipment and apparatus used in the microbiology and parasitology
laboratory; and
2. Explain the functions and uses of each equipment

II. INTRODUCTION

Microbiology is the study of microscopic life forms and is used by scientists studying viruses,
plants, fungi, protozoans, cells, and parasites. Many industries use microbiology for quality control
purposes, to prove there are no living contaminants or to figure out what type of contaminants there are so
they know how to fix the problem.
Most of the exercises conducted in this course provide students a hands-on approach to learning.
The various activities and experiments require different equipment, apparatus, glassware, and other tools.
As such, familiarization with these different materials and their uses is important to the students not only
for their safety but also for the accuracy of the results of their experiments.
Microbiology equipment include microscopes; slides; test tubes; petri dishes; growth mediums,
both solid and liquid; inoculation loops; pipettes and tips; incubators; autoclaves, and laminar flow hoods.
Some equipment, like the microscopes and hoods, are permanent items, whereas others, such as pipette
tips, are disposable. Having an autoclave is one way to be able to reuse equipment, such as slides and
petri dishes, that may otherwise have been thrown away.

III. MATERIALS

A. Glasswares:
Test tubes: (plain, screw-capped & centrifuges) Alcohol lamp
Stirring rod Fermentation tube
Centrifuge Petri dish
Beaker Erlenmeyer Flask
Funnel Slides (plain and depression slide)
Watch glass Pipettes
Graduated cylinder Staining dish
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B. Other Equipments and Apparatus:

Inoculating loop and needle Alcohol lamp
Weighing balance Test tube holder
Inoculating hood Test tube rack
Autoclave Hot air oven
Incubator Refrigerator
Hot plate Spatula

IV. PROCEDURE
1. Identify and study the different glasswares and equipments and used in the microbiology
and parasitology laboratory.
2. Determine the functions and uses of each equipment.
3. Draw and label the glasswares and other equipments in laboratory.
V. ILLUSTRATION

Glasswares/Apparatus Description and Function

Electronic Analytical Balance
Analytical balances are highly sensitive lab
instruments designed to accurately measure
mass. Their readability has a range between
0.1mg - 0.01mg. Analytical balances have a
draft shield or weighing chamber to prevent
It is used for weighing large quantities
the very small samples from being affected
of media and other chemicals, where
by air currents. It is used to weigh small
precise ofweighing
quantities is samples
chemicals and not ofprecisely
much
importance.
and quickly.

Electronic Top-pan Balance

It is used to weigh chemicals and samples

Double-pan Analytical Balance precisely. Weighing takes more time, for
which it is used in emergency only.
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Autoclave It is used for sterilization of glassware’s,

Autoclave
such as testistubes,
the nucleus
pipettesofand
a microbiology
petri dishes.
laboratory.
Such dry sterilization is done toonly
It is used not only sterilize
for
liquid substances such as prepared
glassware’s. Liquid substances, such as media and
saline
prepared(diluents)
media andsolutions, but also
saline solutions cannotto
sterilize glassware’s,
be sterilized in oven,when required.
as they lose water due
to evaporation.

Hot Air Oven for Sterilization

Profuse growth of microbes is obtained in
the laboratory by growing them at suitable
temperatures. This is done by inoculating the
desired microbe into a suitable culture
medium and then incubating it at the
temperature optimum for its growth.

Microbiological Incubator

It is an instrument used for thorough mixing

of liquids in test tubes. It has a rotor, whose
speed can be controlled. On the tip of the
Vortex Mixer
rotor is a foam-rubber top. When the bottom
of a test tube is pressed upon this foam-
rubber top, the rotor starts rotating, thereby
rotating the bottom of the test tube at high
speed.
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A pH meter is an instrument for determining

pH Meter
the pH of liquid media, liquid samples and
buffers. It has a glass pH electrode. When
not in use, it should be kept half immersed in
water contained in a small beaker and
preferably be covered by a bell jar to avoid
dust accumulation in the water and loss of
water through evaporation.

Magnetic Stirrer A magnetic stirrer is a device widely used in

laboratories and consists of a rotating magnet
or a stationary electromagnet that creates a
rotating magnetic field. This device is used
to make a stir bar, immerse in a liquid,
quickly spin, or stirring or mixing a solution.

For microbiological analysis, liquid samples

Homogenizer are directly used, whereas solid samples have
to be mixed thoroughly with a diluent
(usually physiological saline), so as to get a
homogenous suspension of bacteria. This
suspension is assumed to contain bacteria
homogenously.

Electronic Cell Counter

It is used to directly count the number of

bacteria in a given liquid sample. An example
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of electronic cell counter is the ‘Coulter

counter’. In this equipment, a suspension of
bacteria cells is allowed to pass through a
minute orifice, across which an electric
current flow. The resistance at the orifice is
electronically recorded. When a cell passes
through the orifice, being non-conductor, it
increases resistance momentarily.

Certain substances like urea disintegrate and

lose their original properties, if sterilized by
heat. Such substances are sterilized by
membrane filtration apparatus. In this
apparatus, the solution of the substance to be
sterilized is filtered through a membrane
filter, which does not allow bacteria cells to
pass down. Filtration is done under suction
pressure to increase the rate of filtration.

Different types of microscopes are used for

Microscope
visual observation of morphology, motility,
staining and fluorescent reactions of bacteria.

It is an instrument for measuring the

Spectrophotometer differences in color intensities of solutions. A
beam of light of a particular wavelength is
passed through the test solution and the
amount of light absorbed (or transmitted) is
measured electronically.

A beaker is a common container in most

labs. It is used for mixing, stirring, and
heating chemicals. Most beakers have spouts
Beaker
on their rims to aid in pouring. They also
commonly have lips around their rims and
markings to measure the volume they
contain, although they are not a precise way
to measure liquids. Beakers come in a wide
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Erlenmeyer flask Erlenmeyer flask was named after its inventor

in 1861. It has a narrow neck and expands
toward its base. This allows easy mixing and
swirling of the flask without too much risk of
spilling. The narrow opening also allows for
the use of a rubber or glass stopper. It can
easily be clamped to a ring stand (discussed
below) as well as heated or shaken
mechanically.

Florence flask The Florence flask has a round bottom and a

long neck. It is used to hold liquids and can
be easily swirled and heated. It can also
easily be capped by rubber or glass stoppers.

Test tube A test tube is a glass tube with one end open
and the other end closed. The closed end is
rounded. Test tubes are used to hold small
samples. They are primarily used for
qualitative assessment and comparison. A
common place to see these is the biochemistry
lab. When a large number of samples need to
be tested and compared, test tubes are used to
make this easier. They are also easily capped
with a rubber or glass stopper.
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A watch glass is just a round piece of glass

Watch glass that is slightly concave/convex (think of a
lens). It can hold a small amount of liquid or
solid. They can be used for evaporation
purposes and also can function as a lid for a
beaker.

This is a primary measuring tool for the volume of

Graduated cylinder a liquid. There are several markings up and down
the length of the container with specific
increments. Graduated cylinders come in many
sizes. The smaller they are in diameter, the more
specific the volume measurements will be.
When reading the volume from a graduated
cylinder, you will notice that the liquid seems to
have an indentation. The liquid around the edges
will be higher than the liquid in the center, sloping
down like the sides of a trampoline when
someone is standing in the middle. This is called
the meniscus. Line the lowest point of the
meniscus up with the nearest marking, keeping
the cylinder level to properly read the volume.
A volumetric flask is a round flask with a
Volumetric flask long neck and flat bottom. It is used to
measure an exact volume of liquid. There is a
small line on the neck that indicates how far
to fill the bottle (use the bottom of the
meniscus). They come with special caps that
will not let anything in or out.
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These are small glass tubes with narrow tips

Droppers on one end and a rubber bulb on the other.
They suck up liquid that can then be squeezed
out in small drops. These can be used to add
an indicator to a solution about to be titrated.

There are a large variety of pipettes designed

to accomplish specific goals. However, they
are all for measuring an exact volume of
liquid and placing it into another container.

A burette is a glass tube that is open at the top and

Burette comes to a narrow-pointed opening at the bottom.
Right above the bottom opening is a stopcock that
can be turned to control the amount of liquid
being released. There are markings along the
length of the tube that indicate the volume of
liquid present.
A burette is used for extremely accurate addition
of liquid. By adjusting the stopcock, the amount
of liquid that is released can be slowed to a drop
every few seconds. Burets are one of the most
accurate tools in the lab.
A lab funnel is just like any other funnel
Funnel except that it was designed to be used in a
laboratory setting. They can be made of
plastic or glass and can have either a short
stem or a long stem, depending on what they
are needed for. There are several sizes that
can be chosen from based on the amount of
liquid that needs to go through them quickly.

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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1. List the importance of familiarizing the different glasswares/apparatus used in the microbiology and
parasitology laboratory.

VII. GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Compare and contrast autoclave, incubator and hot air oven.

2. Compare and contrast inoculating loop and inoculating needle.

3. Compare and contrast petri dish and test tube.

4. Explain the potential risks of exposure to infectious microorganisms and hazardous chemicals during
laboratory.

5. Discuss the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) during laboratory.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS