WHAT IS THE LABORATORY RACK AND WHAT IS IT FOR? - SCIENCE - 2025

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

Laboratory rack

Allows test tubes to be kept in a safe place when they are not being actively used. It also allows 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 have 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 stir bars.

Laboratory racks help maintain good equipment maintenance. A test tube that is always placed in your 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.

Main characteristics of the racks

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. Lab racks come in a variety of sizes and help keep a lab organized.

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

Some racks offer four-way bonding 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

A laboratory rack is an apparatus used in a laboratory to hold and transport test tubes during experiments while cultures are being 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 serve different purposes and can withstand various elements, such as extreme heat and sub-zero temperatures.

They can be designed to accommodate a variety of test tubes of different sizes and can hold several test tubes simultaneously. Laboratory racks can 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, since glass can be sterilized, is easily cleaned, allows easy viewing of the contents, is not reactive with many common chemical reactors, and conducts heat. uniformly.

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

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

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

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

Types of rack according to their function

- Classic rack

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

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

- Interlocking cubic rack

This type consists of various detachable cubic racks that can be detached based on which side is needed for use.

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

They are not only used for test tubes, they can also be used to hold culture tubes, centrifuge tubes, and micro centrifuge tubes.

These interlocking racks can also facilitate the transport of 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 the chromatography plates, as well as for drying test tubes by placing them in an inverted position within the holes.

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

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

- Inclined rack

Inclined racks are used to maintain the holes to the degree required to be placed and 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 fits into space. It can be made of wire or polystyrene.

The polystyrene ones have a friction connection and can only store tubes that fit the rack in size. 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 hooked to other racks.
• Single-use racks: The cheapest, made of polystyrene.
• Lid Racks: For long-term refrigerated storage of samples.
• Incubation racks: Made for incubation in a water bath. This rack can float on water.
• Foam rubber racks: This material resists chemicals and solvents. Its main advantage is that it is moldable to different test tube diameters.
• Protective racks: Made of acrylic resin, special when beta radiation plays a role in the experiment.
• Isofreeze racks: Equipped with a cooling gel to keep the samples below 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 contamination of the samples.

Uses of the rack in biochemical tests

Most biochemical tests performed with test tubes require the analysis of several 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 separating 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 that is centrifuged, it must be left to rest in the test tubes and this operation is only possible thanks to the support provided by the rack.

References

1. What are the uses of a test tube rack? Recovered from reference.com.
2. Test tube rack. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
3. What is the definition for a test tube rack? Recovered from reference.com.
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5. What is the function of a test tube rack? Recovered from reference.com.