Bio 101 Lab Safety Study Guide

Study Notes

Lab Coat: Protects clothing and skin from spills.
Goggles: Shields eyes from chemical splashes and broken glass.
Gloves: Safeguard hands against harmful substances.
Fume Hood: Contains fumes when working with volatile chemicals.
Fire Extinguisher: Essential for emergency fire situations.
Emergency Shower/Eyewash Station: Used for rinsing chemicals from body or eyes.
First Aid Kit: Contains supplies for treating minor injuries.

Milliliters (mL): Measures liquid volumes using graduated cylinders, pipettes, or beakers.
Grams (g): Measures mass, typically with an electronic balance.
Microliters (μL): Measures very small volumes, often with micropipettes.
Precision: Ensures accuracy through appropriate measuring devices.

Test Tubes: Glass containers for holding or mixing substances.
Test Tube Holder: Used to grasp test tubes, particularly when hot.
Forceps: Tweezers for handling small objects.
Beakers: Containers for holding, mixing, or heating liquids.
Graduated Cylinders: More accurate than beakers for measuring liquid volumes.
Pipettes: Tools for measuring and transferring small liquid amounts.

Independent Variable: Changed or controlled in an experiment (e.g., type of fertilizer).
Dependent Variable: Observed or measured in response (e.g., plant growth).
Identification: Independent is what is changed; Dependent is what is measured.

Biuret Test: Identifies proteins; turns purple in their presence.
Benedict’s Solution: Tests for reducing sugars; changes from blue to red/orange when heated.
Iodine Test: Detects starch; turns blue-black if present.
Sudan IV: Tests for lipids; turns red/orange in the presence of lipids.

Purpose: Identifies starch in a sample.
Procedure: Iodine-dipped toothpick tests powder; blue-black indicates starch's presence.

Electrolytes: Substances that conduct electricity in solution (salts, acids, bases).
Tester Use: Measures solution conductivity; high indicates many electrolytes, low indicates few.

Components: Stage (where slide is placed), Light Source (illuminates slide), Objective Lenses (various magnifications), Ocular Lenses (usually 10x), Coarse/Fine Adjustment Knobs (focus image).
Viewing: Used to observe small organisms and structures like cells.
Total Magnification: Ocular magnification multiplied by objective magnification (e.g., 10x ocular with 40x objective equals 400x total magnification).

Cations: Positively charged atoms that have lost electrons (e.g., Sodium ion Na+).
Anions: Negatively charged atoms that have gained electrons (e.g., Chloride ion Cl-).

Purpose: Observes stages of cell division (mitosis).
Preparation: Root tips stained and viewed microscopically to identify phases: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

Proteins: Composed of amino acids; tested by Biuret solution (turns purple).
Carbohydrates: Includes sugars (monosaccharides) and starches (polysaccharides); tested with Benedict’s (for sugars) and Iodine (for starches).
Lipids: Fats and oils; tested with Sudan IV (turns red).
Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA; identification typically not common in basic labs.