Laboratory rack: characteristics, functions, types, importance

What is the laboratory rack?

The laboratory rack It is a laboratory tool used to hold multiple test tubes upright at the same time. It is most commonly used when several different solutions are needed to work simultaneously, for safety reasons, for safe storage of test tubes, and to facilitate transport of multiple test tubes.

They are commonly used in laboratories to hold test tubes steady so that equipment does not fall, roll, spill, or accidentally break. Test tubes are delicate pieces of equipment, usually made of glass.

Allows test tubes to be kept in a safe place when they are not being actively used. It also allows for easy organization during experiments; all samples from the same particular location or the same samples containing a particular substance can be placed in the same rack.

Basically, racks are useful when you need to keep several different solutions on hand, as well as for storage and transportation. They can also be used to study the behavior of different samples and cultures. There are also racks for pipettes and stirring rods.

Laboratory racks help maintain good equipment maintenance. A test tube that is always placed in its rack is less likely to break or crack.

The rack can be made of polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polycarbonate, aluminum, stainless steel, wood, foam rubber, among other materials. They also come in different colors for easy sorting. Because test tubes have an oval bottom, there is no better way to store them safely.

Rack Features

A laboratory rack is a wooden or plastic container that holds test tubes in a laboratory.

It has several small holes, each designed to hold a test tube standing upright. Laboratory racks are made in a variety of sizes and allow you to keep a laboratory organized.

These kits can be differentiated by different colors, which helps with the identification in the process of various samples in the test tubes.

Some racks offer a four way linkage on both ends and sides. This allows different sections to be connected to store large samples together in an organized manner.

High-quality laboratory racks should resist chemical corrosion and should be easy to clean and disinfect.

Function of laboratory racks

A laboratory rack is an apparatus used in a laboratory to hold and transport test tubes during experiments while cultures are examined.

They can also accommodate other laboratory tools, such as pipettes and stirring rods.

These kits are made of a variety of materials, the most common being metal, plastic, and polypropylene. This allows them to be able to serve different purposes and can withstand various elements, such as extreme heat and freezing temperatures.

They can be designed to accommodate a variety of test tubes of different sizes and to be able to hold multiple test tubes simultaneously. Laboratory racks may also be referred to as test tube containers.

Importance in the laboratory

The use of glass has many advantages in a scientific environment and in test tubes, as glass can be sterilized, is easily cleaned, allows easy viewing of contents, is non-reactive with many common chemical reactors, and conducts heat. evenly.

However, glass is very prone to breaking under sudden shock conditions, such as a test tube being dropped from a laboratory bench.

Additionally, test tubes are completely round and do not have handles. They are round as this allows for loss of mass when materials are transferred from one container to another, but this means that a test tube lying flat on a table can roll and fall.

All these features make laboratory racks a vital component of any decently equipped laboratory.

Its main disadvantage is the fragility of the material coupled with the roundness at the tips of the test tubes, so only the rack has enough field for its safe and stable storage.

Rack types according to their function

classic rack

Classic racks are normally found in any laboratory. They are made of wood, stainless steel, or plastic.

It usually has eight holes, 10 holes, or 12 holes to hold test tubes.

interlocking cubic grid

This type consists of different cube racks that can be peeled off and can be peeled off based on which side is needed for use.

Each compartment can hold one size of test tube, but each of the cube’s four sides can hold the tubes in a variety of ways that can be adjusted depending on use.

Not only used for test tubes, they can also be used to hold culture tubes, centrifuge tubes, and microcentrifuge tubes.

These interlocking racks can also make it easier to transport different tubes of different sizes.

stackable rack

They are made of polypropylene and can be placed in the autoclave. Although they may look like classic racks, they differ in that they can be disassembled to facilitate storage of both the racks and the test tubes.

Drying rack for test tubes

They can be used for a variety of purposes, including drying and storing chromatography plates, as well as drying test tubes by placing them in an inverted position inside the holes.

Placing test tubes in an inverted position not only helps them dry out, but also minimizes the buildup of airborne contaminants and other substances.

Drying racks are usually made of polypropylene and can be autoclaved.

inclined rack

Slant racks are used to keep the holes at the required degree to be placed so that they can dry after the medium has been inserted into the test tube.

They are also used to incubate certain liquid cultures at an angle so that all test tubes are uniform.

one piece rack

It is designed to hold only one test tube or any tube that will fit in the space. It can be made of wire or polystyrene.

The polystyrene ones have a friction connection and can only store tubes that fit the size of the rack. They can store conical or round tubes.

vial racks

They are racks designed for smaller vials or ampoules. They are often made of plastic.

Types of racks according to their material

Mixed racks: Designed to be able to be hooked to other racks.
single use racks: The cheapest, made of polystyrene.
racks with lid: For long-term refrigerated storage of samples.
incubation racks: Made for incubation in a water bath. This rack can float on water.
Foam racks: This material is resistant to chemicals and solvents. Its main advantage is that it is moldable to different diameters of test tubes.
protective racks: Made of acrylic resin, special when beta radiation plays a role in the experiment.
isofreeze racks: Equipped with a refrigerating gel to keep the samples at less than 4°C, it is used in case of problems with the refrigerator.
Pipette racks: The design of these pipettes prevents the tips from making contact with the surface, thus avoiding sample contamination.

Uses of the rack in biochemical tests

Most biochemical tests performed with test tubes require the analysis of various cultures at different incubation periods.

The arrangement of the test tubes in the racks is vital for a controlled observation of each of the samples, starting with the control sample first in succession with each of the new cultures.

In the laboratory, centrifugation is one of the most basic techniques for the separation of liquids. For example, in blood samples it is used to separate red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets suspended in blood plasma.

Regardless of the sample to be centrifuged, it is necessary to let it rest in the test tubes and this operation is only possible thanks to the support provided by the rack.

References

What are the uses of a test tube rack? Retrieved from reference.com.
Test tube rack. Retrieved from wikipedia.org.
What is the definition for a test tube rack? Retrieved from reference.com.
rack. Recovered from tplaboratorioquimico.com.
What is the function of a test tube rack? Retrieved from reference.com.

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