COURSE: MLS 109 LAB TERM: PRELIM SEMESTER: 1ST

COMMON LAB APPARATUS IN BACTERIOLOGY LABORATORY Forceps

Petri dish

• Also known as Petri plate or Cell culture dish
• a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to
culture cells, such as bacteria, fungi or small mosses
• named after its inventor, German bacteriologist, Julius
Richard Petri
Culture Tubes
• are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or
when many objects need to be held at one time while the
hands are used to perform a task.
• In Bacteriology lab, they are used for handling glass slides
during the staining process.
Staining Rack

• holds multiple microscopic slides simultaneously for the most

efficient staining processing
• can hold, mix, or heat contents, making the glassware a
Water Bath
laboratory essential
• Transparent manufacturing allow researchers to constantly
monitor contents.
• Shaped for easier retrieval and minimal sample loss, the
containers require smaller working quantities.
• Offered in a multitude of milliliter capacities, they are
extremely resistant to accommodate any operation or harsh
sample.
• Culture tubes may come graduated, with caps included, or
with a fixed label for easy identification. Durham’s tube
Inoculating Loop

• also called a smear loop, inoculation wand, or microstreaker

• The tool consists of a thin handle with a loop about 5 mm • are used in microbiology to detect production of gas by
wide or smaller at the end. microorganisms
• It was originally made of twisted metal wire • They are simply smaller test tubes inserted upside down in
• (such as platinum, tungsten or nichrome), but disposable another test tube.
molded plastic versions are now common. Hanging Drop Slide
• is a simple tool used mainly by microbiologists to pick up and
transfer a small sample (inoculum) from a culture of
microorganisms. e.g. for streaking on a culture plate
Inoculating Needle

• To observe living and motile microscopic organisms

• Used to transfer and inoculate living microorganisms • E.g. a freely moving protozoan
• can be disposable or re-usable Caliper (Vernier Caliper)
• A standard reusable inoculation needle is made from
nichrome or platinum wire affixed to a metallic handle.
• A disposable inoculation needle is often made from plastic
resin.
• The base of the needle is dulled, resulting in a blunted end.
Culture Swabs

• is a device used to measure the distance between two

opposite sides of an object

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COURSE: MLS 109 LAB TERM: PRELIM
• In antibiotic susceptibility testing: to measure the zone of
inhibition
Candle Jar (GasPak)
• Any sealable, non-flammable jar large enough to hold petri
dishes can be a candle jar
• Historically used for anaerobiosis;
o A lit candle was placed in an air-tight jar such that
when it went out it would be because it used up all
the available oxygen.
• The candle flame will consume most of the oxygen in the jar
and will produce an elevated level of carbon dioxide.
o These conditions are ideal for the growth of
microaerophilic organisms.
Antibiotic discs
• Filter paper disks impregnated with a standardized
concentration of an antimicrobial agent
• Used in the Kirby-Bauer susceptibility testing
Hot Plate
• Scientific hot plates are generally used to heat samples in
glass beakers, flasks, vials, bottles and other vessels.
• Some hot plates also contain a magnetic stirrer, allowing the
heated liquid to be stirred automatically.
Colony Counter
• are used to estimate a liquid culture's density of
microorganisms by counting individual colonies on an agar
plate, slide, mini gel, or Petri dish.
Microscope
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SEMESTER: 1ST
• an instrument used to see objects that are too small to be
seen by the naked eye
• Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and
structures using such an instrument.
Incubator
• 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.
• maintains a constant temperature specifically suitable for the
growth of a specific microbe
• the usual temperature of incubation is 35-37°C
• The incubator has a thermostat, which maintains a constant
temperature, set according to requirement.
• The temperature reading on the thermostat is approximate.
• Accurate temperature can be seen on the thermometer fixed
on the incubator.
• Most of the modern incubators are programmable, which do
not need trial and error temperature setting. Here, the
operator sets the desired temperature and the required
period of time.
Autoclave
• It is used not only to sterilize liquid substances such as
prepared media and saline (diluents) solutions, but also to
sterilize glassware’s, when required.
• When water is boiled in a closed container, due to increased
pressure inside it, the boiling point elevates and steam
temperature much beyond 100°C can be obtained.
• This high temperature is required to kill all the bacteria
including the heat resistant spore-formers.
• Steam temperature increases with increase in steam
pressure.
• This high temperature is required to kill all the bacteria
including the heat resistant spore- formers.
• Steam temperature increases with increase in steam
pressure
Biosafety Cabinet
• also called a biological safety cabinet or microbiological
safety cabinet
• An enclosed, ventilated laboratory workspace for safely
working with materials contaminated with (or potentially
COURSE: MLS 109 LAB TERM: PRELIM SEMESTER: 1ST

contaminated with) pathogens requiring a defined biosafety

level.
• Several different types of BSC exist, differentiated by the
degree of biocontainment required.
• BSCs first became commercially available in 1950.
Hot Air Oven
HOW TO USE A MICROSCOPE
Moving and Placement

• It is used for sterilization of glassware’s, such as test tubes, • When moving your microscope, always carry it with both
pipettes and petri dishes. Such dry sterilization is done only hands. Grasp the arm with one hand and place the other
for glasswares. hand under the base for support.
• Liquid substances, such as prepared media and saline Slide Preparation
solutions cannot be sterilized in oven, as they lose water due
to evaporation.
• The glasswares are sterilized at 180°C for 3 hours.
Drying Oven

• Your microscope slide should be prepared by placing a

• For preparation of certain reagents, the glassware’s, after
proper cleaning and rinsing with distilled water, are required
to be dried.
• They are dried inside the drying oven at 100°C till the
glassware’s dry up completely.
Culture Media
coverslip or cover glass over the specimen. This will help
protect the objective lenses if they touch the slide. Place the
microscope slide on the stage and fasten it with the stage
clips. You can push down on the back end of the stage clip to
open it.
Focusing the Microscope
A. Start by turning the revolving nosepiece (turret) so that the
lowest power objective lens is "clicked" into position. The
lowest power objective is the shortest one. This objective is
the easiest to focus and center the image in the field of view.

B. While looking at the objective lens and the stage from the
side, turn the coarse focus knob so that the stage moves
upward toward the objectives. Move it as far as it will go
without touching the slide.

• Food for the organism

• Provide similar environmental and nutritional conditions that
exist in the natural habitat of a bacterium
• Contains water, source of carbon and energy, source of
nitrogen, trace
• Uses:
1. Enrich the number of bacteria
2. Select for certain bacteria and suppress others C. Now, look through the eyepiece(s) and adjust the illuminator
3. Differentiate among different kinds of bacteria and diaphragm until you attain the maximum, comfortable
level of light.

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D. Slowly turn the coarse adjustment so that the stage moves

down (away from the slide). Continue until the image comes
into broad focus. The turn the fine adjustment knob, as
necessary, for perfect focus.

E. Move the microscope slide until the image is in the center of

the field of view. Then readjust the illuminator or diaphragm
in order to attain the clearest image.

F. Once you have attained a clear image, you should be able to

change to a higher power objective lens with only minimal
use of the focusing adjustment. If you cannot focus on your
specimen, repeat the above steps and work from objective to
objective until the higher power objective lens is in place.

Care & Maintenance of Your Microscope

Your microscope will last a lifetime if cared for properly and
we recommend that you observe the following basic steps:
• When finished viewing, lower the stage, click the low power
lens into position and remove the slide.
• Switch off the microscope when not using.
• Avoid touching the glass part of the lenses with your fingers.
Use only special lens paper to clean the lenses.
• Dust is the number one enemy of a microscope so always
keep your microscope covered when not in use. When not in
use for extended periods, replace the microscope in its box.