MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY

LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES

PART 2: INSTRUMENTATIONS IN MICROBIOLOGY

Specific instruments are required to conduct specialized testing in the microbiological area. Aside
from binocular microscope, other microbiological instruments includes autoclave, incubator,
and sterilizer. One must be aware of the parts and uses of these instruments to facilitate proper
identification and cultivation of microorganisms and the conduct in preventing such organisms.

AUTOCLAVE
- An autoclave is a pressurized chamber used for the process of sterilization and disinfection by
combining three factors: time, pressure and steam. Autoclaves are mostly used for the sterilization
of medical or laboratory equipment with the capacity of sterilizing a large number of materials at
once and for the preparation of culture media during laboratory applications.

- Uses steam under pressure 121° C at 15 pounds pressure for 15-30 minutes.
- 30 to 60 minutes for MEDICAL WASTE.
- Quality Control: species of Bacillus stearrothermophilus incubated at 56° C.

INCUBATOR
- An incubator is a device that is used in laboratories for the growth and maintenance of
microorganisms and cultures. Incubator provides an optimal temperature, pressure, moisture,
among other things required for the growth of microorganisms.
- The simplest incubators are insulated boxes with an adjustable heater, typically going up to 60 to
65 °C (140 to 150 °F), though some can go slightly higher (generally to no more than 100 °C)
- Most incubators include a timer; some can also be programmed to cycle through different
temperatures, humidity levels, etc. Incubators can vary in size from tabletop to units the size of
small rooms.
-Incubators also contain certain features such as the shake speed, measured by revolutions per
minute. As for temperature, most commonly used is approximately 36 to 37 degrees Celsius. Most
bacteria, especially the frequently used E. Coli, grow well under such conditions. For other
experimental organisms, such as the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a growth
temperature of 30 °C is optimal.

COLONY COUNTER
- A colony counter is an instrument used to count colonies of bacteria or other microorganisms
growing on an agar plate.
-Quadrant counting is facilitated by a light and a built in adjustable magnifying lens.
- The maximum number of colonies which may be effectively counted on a single plate is
somewhere between 100 and 1,000, depending on the size of the colony and the type of
organism.

BUNSEN BURNER
- This burner is made with a metal tube on a flat base with a gas inlet at the bottom of the tube,
which may have an adjustable valve. On the sides of the tube are openings that can be adjusted
with a collar to control the amount of air that can enter.
- It is commonly used for processes like sterilization, combustion, and heating. In medical or
microbiology laboratories, it is commonly used for micro-loop sterilization

HOT PLATE
- used in microbiology laboratories as a tabletop heating system.
- a hot plate produces heat by the flow of electricity.
 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES
- used to heat glassware and its components.

MAGNETIC STIRRER
- Used for mixing various liquid components in a mixture in a chemical or microbiology laboratory

HOT AIR OVEN

- Hot air ovens are electrical devices used in sterilization. The oven uses dry heat to sterilize
articles. Generally, they can be operated from 50 to 300 °C. There is a thermostat controlling the
temperature. These are digitally controlled to maintain the temperature.

ANALYTICAL BALANCE
-A type of balance that is commonly used for the measurement of mass in the sub-milligram
range.
- These types of balances are made with a measuring pan enclosed in a transparent covering that
prevents small particles or air currents from getting collected on the pan.
- Used in laboratories for the effective completion of tasks like weighing test materials and
sampling amounts, formulation, density determination, purity analysis, quality control testing, and
material and conformance testing.

MICROSCOPE
- An instrument to see objects too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small
objects using such an instrument is called microscopy. Microscopic means invisible to the eye
unless aided by a microscope.

INSTRUMENTS PICTURES
AUTOCLAVE

INCUBATOR

COLONY COUNTING
 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES
HOT PLATE

MAGNETIC STIRRER

HOT AIR OVEN

ANALYTICAL BALANCE

MICROSCOPE
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES
 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES

PART/S OF DESCRIPTION
MICROSCOPE
Eyepiece or Ocular Lens Eyepiece lens magnifies the image of the specimen. This part is
also known as ocular. Most school microscopes have an
eyepiece with 10X magnification.

Eyepiece Tube or Body Hold the eyepiece

Tube
Nosepiece Nosepiece holds the objective lenses and is sometimes called a
revolving turret. Choose the objective lens by rotating to the
specific lens to use.

Objective Lenses
Most compound microscopes come with three or four objective
lenses that revolve on the nosepiece. The most common
objective lenses have power of 4X, 10X and 40X. Combined
with the magnification of the eyepiece the resulting
magnification is 40X, 100X and 400X magnification. Total
magnification is calculated by multiplying the power of the
eyepiece by the power of the objective lens. (10X Eyepiece X
40X Objective = 400X Total Magnification)

Arm Arm connects the base to the nosepiece and eyepiece. It is the
structural part that is also used to carry the microscope.

Stage The stage is where the specimen is placed. This place is for
observation.

Stage Clips Stage clips are the supports that hold the slides in place on the
stage.

Diaphragm (sometimes The diaphragm controls the amount of light passing through the
called the Iris) slide. It is located below the stage and is usually controlled by a
round dial. How to set the diaphragm is determined by the
magnification, transparency of the specimen and the degree of
contrast. Also called the condenser diaphragm.

Illuminator Most light microscopes use a low voltage bulb which supplies
light through the stage and onto to the specimen. Mirrors are
sometimes used instead of a built-in light. If microscope has a
mirror, it provides light reflected from ambient light sources like
classroom lights or sunlight if outdoors

Coarse focus Coarse focus moves the stage to provide general focus on the
specimen. When bringing a specimen into focus, the course
dial is the first one used.

Fine focus Fine focus moves the stage in smaller increments to provide a
clear view of the specimen.

Base The base is the main support of the microscope. The bottom,
where all the other parts of the microscope stand.
 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES

PART/S FUNCTION
The main component of a steam autoclave consisting of an inner chamber and an outer
Pressure Chamber
jacket.
The inner chamber is made up of stainless steel or gunmetal, where the materials to be
sterilized are put. The outer jacket is filled with steam to reduce the time taken to reach the
sterilization temperature.
Seal off the outside atmosphere and create a sterilized condition on the inside of the
Lid/ Door
autoclave. The lid is made airtight via the screw clamps and asbestos washer.
Pressure gauge Indicate the pressure created in the autoclave during sterilization. Assures the safety of the
autoclave and the working condition of the operation.
Pressure regulating Whistle controls the pressure inside the chamber by releasing a certain amount of vapor by
unit/ Whistle lifting itself
Safety valve Crucial in cases where the autoclave fails to perform its action or the pressure inside
increases uncontrollably. The valve has a thin layer of rubber that bursts itself to release the
pressure and to avoid the danger of explosion.
Steam generator/ Electrical steam generator or boiler is present underneath the chamber that uses an electric
Electrical heater heating system to heat the water and generate steam in the inner and the outer chamber.
Vacuum generator In some types of autoclaves, a separate vacuum generator is present which pulls out the air
(if applicable) from the inside of the chamber to create a vacuum inside the chamber.
Wastewater cooler Many autoclaves are provided with a system to cool the effluent before it enters the draining
pipes. This system prevents any damage to the drainage pipe due to the boiling water being
sent out of the autoclave.
Outer stand Holds the autoclave
 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES

NAME: DATE:
COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: SCORE:

EXPERIMENT NO. 2
INSTRUMENTATIONS IN MICROBIOLOGY

Questions For Research:

A. Incubator

Describe the incubator according to structure and parts

B. Sterilizer

Describe the incubator according to structure and parts

C. Autoclave

Why is a pure distilled water is to be used every cycle of autoclaving?

D. Colony Counter
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES

Describe the colony counter according to structure and parts

 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY NOTES/ ACTIVITIES
Questions For Research:

1. What is the ideal temperature of the incubator to be maintained in the microbiology?

Why such temperature is to be maintained?

2. State the principle of sterilization by dry heat.

3. state the principle of sterilization by moist heat.

4. Describe the operating principle in using the Colony Counter.