Laboratory equipment: 23 must-have items and instruments

These are the necessary tools for any self-respecting scientific laboratory.

Most of the scientific advances of the last centuries have been possible thanks to the technological progress and the effort of its application in the investigation of the phenomena of different branches or aspects of reality, generally by means of experimental research.

Although such research can be carried out in different ways and in different places, it is generally carried out in some kind of laboratory, where there are sufficient elements and conditions to generate experiments that can test or analyze samples, as well as reproduce under controlled conditions the phenomena or situations to be studied.

And in this context the need to have adequate equipment and sufficient laboratory material available is of particular importance. Throughout this article we are going to talk about the different elements that make up the latter, at least in terms of the most basic of what is usually available in general.

Laboratory equipment: basic objects

We can understand by laboratory material the set of utensils and instruments that a laboratory needs to be able to carry out the necessary research or experimentation in order to generate knowledge and analyze the phenomenon of the reality that is being studied.

On the other hand, although the concept of laboratory is associated with the idea of experimentation, it is necessary to clarify that technically laboratory instruments are not only used in this type of research design, but also in other types of studies. For example, it is not uncommon to leave samples under observation to see how they behave over time, and this does not imply manipulating what is being investigated.

It should be borne in mind that there are a wide variety of laboratory types, each requiring specialized equipment in the field of study.Each one of them requires specialized material for the field of study in which it works: it does not require the same type of material in a physics laboratory as in a chemistry laboratory, for example. The equipment listed below is usually considered to be the most basic and most associated with the prototype laboratory, perhaps with an orientation towards chemistry, biology and medicine.

1. Test tube

This small transparent tube, which has a base to support it, has as its main function to measure the volume of a liquid or a solid (by Archimedes' principle). It is one of the fundamental pieces of equipment in any laboratory, and researchers in the fields of chemistry, biology and related sciences use them constantly when they are in an experimental context or observing substances or microorganisms.

2. Test tube

A type of tube, similar to a test tube but without a base, into which liquids, solutions or samples to be analyzed or experimented with are usually poured. The test tube tends to be smaller than the average test tube, and is easier to transport and store (with the use of the instrument discussed below).

3. Rack/rack

When using test tubes it is necessary to be able to leave them in a fixed place from which to work, since they do not have a support base. That is why a rack can be very useful to deposit them, especially when we have several samples.

The racks can adopt different shapes and sizes depending on the number of tubes they contain and the criteria used to classify them into various categories.

4. Microscope

Although the first laboratories did not have this equipment, the invention of the microscope was a scientific revolution, allowing the examination of matter, its composition and structure and its interaction with the environment at a level indistinguishable to the human eye.

Today there are few laboratories that do not have one. In addition, the technological development of recent years has led to the design of microscopes capable of even seeing all the details of the organelles of cells and parts of unicellular organisms.

5. Petri dish

A small, round, transparent container with a lid that is commonly used to place samples of tissues, bacteria and cells in order to generate cultures.

The petri dish often provides a simple way to see patterns of growth or decline in bacterial populations, which are sometimes visible to the naked eye on the smooth surface of the petri dish.

6. Burette

An elongated instrument resembling a cross between a test tube and a funnel, the burette allows the volume of a liquid or solution to be determined while having a handle or stopcock to allow regulation of the liquid flow.

7. Slide

Similar to the previous one, a slide is usually a small, thin glass or plastic plate on which a small portion of the sample to be analyzed (for example, a drop of blood) is placed in order to observe it under the microscope.

8. Pipette

A laboratory instrument, usually made of glass or plastic, that allows us to measure the volume of a substance that we can pour in a controlled manner through one of its ends, being able to easily determine the amount of substance that has come out of it.

9. Flask

A larger container, usually in the shape of a test tube with a widened closed end, used to contain substances, mix them or distill them. There are several types, one of the best known being the Erlenmeyer flask.

10. Funnel

Especially in chemistry, it is common to find different types of funnels which allow controlled mixing of different compounds or for separating solids from liquids. The decanting funnel (which allows to regulate with a handle the amount of substance that is filtered) stands out.

11. Stirrer/mixer

A stirrer is understood as any instrument that allows, by means of its movement, the uniform mixing of the samples being worked with.

Traditionally a rod was used, but nowadays there are electronic mixers or mixers with different mechanisms, many of which use electromagnets.

12. Balance-scale

Being able to accurately weigh what we are studying is basic in many scientific disciplines, which is why a scale or balance (nowadays mostly digital) are basic instruments.

13. Tweezers

Tweezers are very necessary in a laboratory, generally in order to hold a specific instrument or to move some elements of the samples we are analyzing. There is a wide variety of tweezers depending on whether grip strength or precision is prioritized.

14. Scalpel

Especially in sciences such as medicine or chemistry, it may be necessary to make precise cuts to reach or separate a sample from the material to be analyzed (e.g. for a biopsy). In this sense a scalpel is indispensable to separate some organic tissues from others.

15. Spatula

With an appearance similar to that of a round knife, it is a useful instrument for picking up small solids in the form of powder.

16. File

Sometimes it may be necessary to file an object or material in order to extract a small sample or even to cut a specific material.

17. Spoon

Something as basic as a teaspoon is also a useful tool in a laboratory, especially if we are making some kind of solution that requires the use of a chemical powder.

18. Brush

The cleanliness of laboratory equipment, both before and after use, is essential and can in fact greatly alter the results of the experiment or analysis. That is why a brush for cleaning flasks or test tubes, for example, is essential.

19. Wash bottle

In general, we will need more than just a brush to clean the material used, as it is necessary to apply water to clean it. The wash bottle is usually filled with distilled water or some type of alcohol, allowing a comfortable application on the instruments.

20. Lighter/lighter/stove

In many experiments and with many chemical substances and reactions it may be necessary to heat the components to be used, or even cause them to combust. Obviously we are talking about laboratory equipment, not those used on a daily basis.

21. Thermometer

Knowing the temperature at which a substance or sample is at can be fundamental to be able to study it correctly or even to be able to preserve it (for example in the case of organs or living cells such as spermatozoa). In this sense, it is useful to use some type of thermometer.

22. Dropper

Another instrument that, although extremely simple, is common in different types of laboratories. However, it must be taken into account that the amount of substance that is expelled can be more or less precise and that different instruments can sometimes have the same function (such as the handle on a decanting funnel).

23. Computer

Perhaps this instrument seems obvious, but the truth is that the computing capacity of a computer allows recording and even automating specific processes to be used during experimentation with a level of precision and detail that a human being could take much more time to achieve. In most cases a normal PC but with specialized software for data analysis is sufficient, but in special cases the volume of information to be worked with is such that supercomputers such as those in some universities are necessary.

Bibliographic references:

• Atkins J. and Jones, L. (2012). Principles of Chemistry. The paths of discovery, 5th Ed. Editorial Médica Panamericana, Madrid.
• Bawer JD. (1996). Clinical Analysis, Methods and Interpretation. Barcelona. Ed. Reverté.
• Patnaik, P. (2003). Dean's Handbook of Analytical Chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Vinck, D. (2010). The sociology of scientific work. The Lypiatts: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.