Common Lab Equipment
Click on the pictures in this section to view larger images.

Micropipettes
Click for a large picture The micropipette is used for transferring small amounts of liquid, measured in microliters.

Click for a larger picture The tip is sterile, detachable, and is disposed of after use.

Click for a larger picture There are three positions of the plunger at the top of the instrument.

Click for a larger picture The first position is when the pipette is not in use.

Click for a larger picture The second position is when someone is taking liquid up into the tip.

Click for a larger picture The third position is for ejecting the liquid.

Click for a larger picture The button on the side ejects the tip.
Centrifuges
Click for a larger picture The centrifuge is a machine that spins at high speeds. It consists of a rotor, which holds tubes of samples, and a motor that spins the rotor. On some centrifuges, the speed of the motor can be controlled.

Centrifugation causes solutions to separate by weight. The heaviest parts of the solution fall towards the bottom of the tube, and form a clump called a 'pellet'. The lighter parts of the solution stay at the top of the tube, forming a layer of fluid called the 'supernatant'.

When centrifuging samples, it is important that the tubes are balanced so that the rotor does not spin off balance and damage the machine. Balancing is done by ensuring that there is a tube opposite every other tube, with roughly the same volume of solution in each tube.
Gel Casting Chamber
Click for a larger picture A gel casting chamber consists of two glass plates, and a rubber strip for sealing the bottom. Molten agarose is poured in between the plates. The rubber strip ensures that the liquid agarose does not fall out of the bottom. A comb is inserted into the top of the chamber in order to form wells. The agarose is allowed to cool, and form a gel. The comb is then removed, and leaves behind wells that samples can be loaded into.
Gel Electrophoresis Tank
Click for a larger picture A gel electrophoresis tank is a large tank that can be connected to a power supply. The gel casting chamber fits inside. The rest of the tank can be filled with a buffer. When hooked up to a power supply, the electrical current will move through the buffer and carry the DNA through the gel.