Basic Bioscience Laboratory Techniques

This unique, practical, pocket-sized guide and reference provides every first year bioscience student with all they need to know to prepare reagents correctly and perform fundamental laboratory techniques. It also helps them to analyse their data and present their findings, in addition to directing the reader, via a comprehensive list of references, to relevant further reading All of the core bioscience laboratory techniques are covered including: basic calculations and the preparation of solutions; aseptic techniques; microscopy techniques; cell fractionation ; spectrophotometry; chromatography of small and large molecules: electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids and data analysis. In addition the book includes clear, relevant diagrams and worked examples of calculations. In short, this is a 'must-have' for all first year bioscience students struggling to get to grips with this vitally important element of their course.

This unique, practical, pocket-sized guide and reference providesevery first year bioscience student with all they need to know toprepare reagents correctly and perform fundamental laboratorytechniques. It also helps them to analyse their data and presenttheir findings, in addition to directing the reader, via acomprehensive list of references, to relevant further readingAll of the core bioscience laboratory techniques are coveredincluding: basic calculations and the preparation of solutions;aseptic techniques; microscopy techniques; cell fractionation ;spectrophotometry; chromatography of small and large molecules:electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids and data analysis. Inaddition the book includes clear, relevant diagrams and workedexamples of calculations.In short, this is a 'must-have' for all first year biosciencestudents struggling to get to grips with this vitally importantelement of their course.

Preface ixGlossary xiAbbreviations xvii1 The preparation of solutions in bioscience research 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Concentration 21.3 Using balances to weigh out reagents 31.4 Practical considerations when making a 1.0 M solution 61.5 Dilutions and the use of pipettes 111.6 Water, acids and bases 151.7 Buffers 211.8 The equilibrium/dissociation constant (Ka) for an acid or base and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation 241.9 Summary 262 Microscopy 272.1 Introduction 272.2 Microscopes - general principles 292.3 Principles of image formation 302.4 Light microscopy 322.5 Electron microscopy 462.6 Summary 493 Spectrophotometry 513.1 Introduction 513.2 The electromagnetic spectrum 513.3 The absorbance of light 543.4 Absorbtion spectrophotometry 563.5 The laws of the absorbance of light 573.6 The Beer Lambert law 613.7 Spectrophotometers 633.8 Applications of spectrophotometry in bioscience 683.9 Summary 734 Data analysis and presentation 744.1 Introduction 744.2 Statistical analysis of data: some key definitions 764.3 Distributions 794.4 Statistical comparison of data 854.5 Presentation, structure and organization of data in laboratory reports 944.6 Summary 1005 The extraction and clarification of biological material 1035.1 General introduction 1035.2 Extraction 1035.3 Extraction methods for animal and plant tissue 1055.4 Extraction methods for bacteria 1075.5 Clarification 1085.6 Centrifugation techniques 1155.7 Points of good practice in centrifugation 1195.8 Summary 1206 Electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids 1216.1 General introduction 1216.2 Separation of protein mixtures by gel electrophoresis 1226.3 Other electrophoretic techniques applied to proteins 1366.4 Separation of nucleic acids by gel electrophoresis 1376.5 Applications of gel electrophoresis of nucleic acids 1416.6 Summary 1467 Chromatography 1477.1 General introduction 1477.2 The theory of chromatography 1477.3 Factors to consider in chromatography 1527.4 Methods used to elute samples in chromatography 1537.5 Different types of chromatography and what properties can be used to separate molecules 1537.6 Thin layer chromatography (TLC) 1567.7 High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) 1587.8 Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) 1617.9 Ion exchange chromatography (IEX) 1627.10 Size exclusion chromatography 1647.11 Affinity chromatography 1667.12 Summary 1678 Cell culture techniques 1698.1 Introduction 1698.2 Growth and maintenance of cells in culture 1748.3 Summary 192Suggestions for further reading 195Index 198