The rack is an important tool commonly found as part of clinical and research laboratory equipment to put genetic, molecular, and chemical biology into practice, among others. It is used to hold and store various quantities of test tubes or also Eppendorf tubes.

Its main function is to facilitate the handling and support of the test tubes. They are available in different manufacturing materials, they can be wood, steel, foam rubber, aluminum, metal or plastic, which are the most common and the most used. Thanks to this instrument, you can work more comfortably and avoid po

Different uses of the rack

Among the benefits that allow the use of this excellent laboratory instrument, are:

  • It allows better organization to place the test tubes upright and is the best supports so that they do not fall, spill, roll or accidentally break while you are working. Test tubes are extremely delicate equipment, as most are made of glass.
  • It has the ability to keep the test tubes stable and in a place that generates the security that is needed while they are not being used. In the same way, they allow an adequate organization during the execution of various experiments, since samples containing different substances in particular can be placed in the same place at the same time.
  • They are of great benefit when you need to have multiple solutions on hand and if you need to store or transport them. It is also used to study the behavior of different crops or samples.
  • They help keep laboratory equipment protected and prevent the likelihood of test tubes cracking or breaking, as they have an oval bottom and this is a safe way to store them.

Rack main features

  • An instrument like this can be described as a mostly plastic or wooden container that has the ability to hold test tubes within the laboratory.
  • It has a large number of small holes and each of them is designed to hold a test tube and so that it can be held upright.
  • Its diversity of sizes allows the laboratory to be well organized.
  • Because they can be found in different colors, it can help to easily identify the process of the samples in the test tubes.
  • Some of these instruments offer 4-way bonding at the sides and at both ends. This allows different sections to be connected to store large samples together in an organized way.
  • Those that are made with high quality materials, have the ability to resist extreme heat, sub-zero temperatures and the corrosion of chemical substances, in addition they are easier to disinfect and clean.
  • The advantage of this instrument made of plastic is that they do not contaminate or react with the various samples that are placed in the test tubes.
  • They also have the ability to accommodate other work tools, such as stirring rods and pipettes.
  • They can be used within the laboratory to transport test tubes from one location to another, while conducting experiments where different cultures need to be examined.

Importance of the rack in the laboratory

It is an instrument of great importance within a laboratory, therefore, the following can be highlighted:

  • The use of glass is of great benefit in a scientific environment, that is why the test tubes are made with this material, since they can be cleaned and sterilized more easily, it allows a better visualization of the contents that are deposited in them, not It reacts with no chemical reactor and can conduct heat evenly.
  • Despite this, we know that glass is very delicate because it can break if there are sudden shocks or if a test tube were to fall off the laboratory bench.
  • In addition to this, it can be said that the test tubes do not have handles and are completely round so that part of their content is not lost when transferring the materials from one container to another.
  • Its rounded model means that they have to be placed horizontally on the table and in turn an accident can occur when rolling out and falling to the floor.
  • For all the above, it can be said that this tool is very important, useful and much needed in a laboratory that is adequately equipped to store test tubes in a safe and stable manner.

Types of racks according to their function

Depending on the operation to be performed, this instrument can be classified as follows:

Classic rack

They are commonly found in any laboratory, in steel, wood or plastic designs. They are mostly small with a maximum of 12 holes to hold small amounts of test tubes.

Interlocking cubic rack

This model has the ease of being able to detach according to the use that is given to it. Each of the compartments can be adapted to the size of the test tubes and also each of the 4 sides of the cube can hold the tubes in various ways such as centrifuge, micro centrifugation or culture and can be adjusted depending on the use.

It can make it easier for workers to transport different tubes of different sizes at the same time.

Gradilla apilable

Made of polypropylene material, they can be autoclaved and disassembled for easy storage of racks and test tubes.

Second grade

They are used for a variety of purposes such as drying and storing the color plates, meaning that they allow test tubes to be inverted to dry within the holes. This will help decrease the build-up of airborne pollutants and other pollutants.

Inclined gradilla

They can be used to keep the holes to the degree needed to fit the test tubes and can then be dried as they are inserted. They are also used to incubate some liquid cultures at angles so that all tubes are evenly positioned.

One-piece rack

This design can hold only one test tube or some other that can fit in the space. Because it is made with polystyrene material, it can have a friction connection.

Vial racks

They are specially made to hold ampoules or bottles of small sizes.

Types of racks according to their material

Depending on the material with which they are made, the following can be found:

  • Mixed racks: used to attach other racks.
  • Single-use racks: they are very inexpensive and their manufacturing material is polystyrene.
  • Racks with lid: They are specially designed to store samples that must be refrigerated for a long time.
  • Pipette racks: their excellent design allows the pipette tips not to have any contact with the surface and thus avoid contamination of the samples.
  • Protective racks: their acrylic resin material, they are special when beta radiation participates in an experiment.
  • Incubation racks: they are made so that they can float in water and thus be able to incubate in a water bath.
  • Foaming rubber racks: with this material they can be resistant to chemicals and various solvents, the best thing is that they are moldable to different sizes of test tubes.
  • Isofreeze racks: they are made with cooling gel so that they can keep the samples at less than 4 degrees Celsius, they are used if there are problems with the refrigerator.

Uses of the rack in biochemical tests

The biochemical tests that are carried out with test tubes, mostly require a detailed analysis of various cultures at different periods for their incubation.

The arrangement of the test tubes in this laboratory tool is of great vitality for the controlled observation of all the samples, starting from the main control sample in succession with the new cultures.

Centrifugation in laboratories are very basic techniques to achieve separates liquids. Regardless of the samples to be centrifuged, it is important to let it rest in the test tubes after this operation, therefore, it is necessary that they rest on this instrument so that they rest for the necessary time.

What is a lab t-shirt?

It is a bottle that is also known as a wash bottle or wash flask. It has a straw-shaped opening for use in chemistry labs, these can facilitate cleaning of various lab supplies.

It has the ability to clean plastic materials of different quality, it can also rinse various instruments that are delicate handling such as electrodes and after having finished the preparation of some solutions.

It is made of a resistant material, difficult to break, it is constantly in contact internally with the solvent and the lid of the container that closes the bottle has a hole that protrudes to release the flow of liquids.

If you require a pressure increase for the liquid to rise, it allows you to dispense moderate and small amounts of the content.

To rinse the laboratory materials, it can be filled with different solvents such as demineralized or distilled water and also with organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol or hexane.

What is and what is the function of a pipette?

It is a laboratory instrument, used to transfer different liquids from one container to another and to measure aliquots of liquid when high precision is required.

The different styles of this instrument contain different characteristics. They are transparent tubes with widening in the middle part and in the upper part they have a conical shape. Its hole in the upper part can be covered so that the atmospheric pressure prevents the liquid from coming out.

Its main function is to measure the aliquot of liquids with high pressure. Because it is transparent, the liquid can be observed through the and the scale in milliliters that indicates the different volumes.

Along with this instrument, you can use the propipette, it is a laboratory utensil that allows the suction of the liquid and thus be able to transfer the liquids. The function of the two tools is to prevent various toxic, poisonous, corrosive liquids from being sucked in with the mouth or if they emit vapors.

Pipettes can be classified into different types such as:

  • Pasteur pipette: this is known as a drip, they are tubes that have a conical edge and their main function is to transfer very small amounts of liquids.
  • Volumetric or graduated pipette: it has the ability to measure a single volume.
  • Automatic pipettes: they are devices that are characterized by not having a deposit, they can be used to measure or transfer small volumes of liquids from one container to another with great precision and accuracy.
  • Graduated pipette: it differs from others because it can measure different volumes both maximum and minimum with less precision than volumetric pipettes, this will depend on the amount of liquid that is needed.
  • Micropipettes – Only used to measure small amounts of liquids in microliters.

Conclusion of the use of the rack

To conclude, it can be said that the rack is one of those indispensable instruments to support, transport and store test tubes vertically in the execution of various experiments, guaranteeing better comfort. In it you can accumulate different solutions that are needed to work simultaneously safely.

We hope this topic is of great use to you. Thank you for choosing us!

Samantha Robson
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Dr. Samantha Robson ( CRN: 0510146-5) is a nutritionist and website content reviewer related to her area of ​​expertise. With a postgraduate degree in Nutrition from The University of Arizona, she is a specialist in Sports Nutrition from Oxford University and is also a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

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