A serological pipette is a laboratory instrument used for the precise measurement and transfer of relatively large volumes of liquids. It is designed for accuracy and repeatability and is commonly used in scientific and medical laboratories for various applications.
Serological pipettes are typically single-use or disposable to prevent cross-contamination between samples. Sterile serological pipettes are often supplied with a cotton or foam plug at the top to prevent spillage.
Measuring Liquid Volume: The primary function of a serological pipette is to accurately measure and transfer a specific volume of liquid. This is achieved by drawing the liquid into the pipette through the top orifice and reading the volume at the meniscus (the curved surface of the liquid in the pipette) at the desired graduation mark.
Dispensing Liquid: After measuring the liquid, the serological pipette can be used to dispense the measured volume into another container, such as a test tube, flask, or a microplate. This is often critical in various laboratory processes, including cell culture, chemical analysis, and molecular biology.
Precise and Reproducible: Serological pipettes are designed to provide high precision and reproducibility in volume measurements. They are particularly useful when working with biological samples, reagents, or chemicals that require accurate and consistent handling.
Aseptic Techniques: In medical and biological laboratories, serological pipettes are commonly used for aseptic techniques, such as transferring sterile media, cell suspensions, or other biological samples without introducing contaminants.
Click for plastic serological pipettes
A Mohr pipette, also known as a Mohr burette or Mohr pipet, is a type of laboratory glassware used for precisely measuring and dispensing variable volumes of liquids in a titration or analytical chemistry setting. It is named after the German chemist Karl Friedrich Mohr, who invented this type of pipette.
The primary function of a Mohr pipette is to accurately measure and dispense variable volumes of liquid, which is particularly important in titration procedures. In a titration, a known volume of a solution with a precisely known concentration (the titrant) is added to another solution to determine the concentration of an analyte or a specific component in the second solution. The graduated scale and stopcock of the Mohr pipette allow the user to precisely measure and deliver specific volumes of the titrant, making it an essential tool in analytical chemistry.
Mohr pipettes and serological pipettes are both laboratory instruments used for liquid measurement and transfer, but they have distinct differences in terms of design, application, and functionality.
Mohr Pipette: Mohr pipettes are typically made of glass and have a tapered, cylindrical shape. They have a graduated scale along their length, often with fine subdivisions. At the bottom, they have a stopcock or a tap for precise control of liquid flow.
Serological Pipette: Serological pipettes are typically made of transparent or translucent plastic. They have a long, slender, and cylindrical shape with volume graduations marked along the length. Serological pipettes often come in various sizes and may have a cotton or foam plug at the top to prevent spillage.
Mohr Pipette: Mohr pipettes are primarily used for measuring and dispensing variable volumes of liquids with precision. They are particularly well-suited for titration procedures and analytical chemistry, where exact volumes are crucial.
Serological Pipette: Serological pipettes are designed for measuring and transferring relatively large, fixed volumes of liquids accurately. They are commonly used in applications like cell culture, sample dilution, and general laboratory pipetting where high precision is still important but variable volumes are not as critical.
Mohr Pipette: Mohr pipettes are typically made of glass, which makes them reusable after proper cleaning and sterilization. However, disposable plastic versions are available.
Serological Pipette: Serological pipettes are commonly made of disposable plastic, although glass versions are available in some cases. They are primarily intended for single-use to prevent cross-contamination in sensitive applications. Click for disposable serological pipette
Mohr Pipette: Mohr pipettes are specifically designed for precise analytical chemistry tasks, especially titration procedures, where highly accurate and variable volume measurements are required.
Serological Pipette: Serological pipettes are more versatile and find common use in general laboratory applications, including liquid transfers, sample aliquoting, and cell culture work. They are particularly useful when handling larger volumes of liquid with a good degree of precision.
Mohr Pipette: The graduation on a Mohr pipette extends to the tip, allowing for accurate measurement even when a small amount of liquid remains in the pipette.
Serological Pipette: Serological pipettes have graduations along their length but may not extend all the way to the tip. This means they might not be as accurate when there is a residual liquid left in the pipette.
Understanding the differences and applications of Mohr pipettes and serological pipettes is crucial for anyone working in a laboratory setting. Mohr pipettes, with their glass construction and precise control of variable volumes, are indispensable tools for analytical chemistry, particularly in titration procedures where accuracy is paramount. On the other hand, serological pipettes, often made of plastic and designed for the transfer of fixed volumes, are versatile instruments used in a wide range of laboratory tasks, from cell culture to general liquid handling.
When it comes to choosing the right pipette for a specific task, knowing the distinctive features of both Mohr and serological pipettes is essential. Mohr pipettes are ideal for applications demanding variable volume measurements with a high degree of precision, while serological pipettes excel in scenarios where fixed volumes need to be accurately transferred.
