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Laboratory Measurement Tool
Updated September 20, 2025
Micropipette
A micropipette is a precise lab tool used to measure and transfer tiny liquid volumes. It allows scientists to handle samples accurately in microliter amounts.
Category
Laboratory Measurement Tool
Use Case
Transferring small liquid volumes in laboratory experiments
Key Features
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Precise Liquid Volume Measurement
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Ergonomic User-Friendly Design
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Adjustable Volume Selection Mechanism
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Disposable Tip Ejection System
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Accurate And Reproducible Sample Delivery
In Simple Terms
What It Is
A micropipette is a handheld tool used in labs to measure and transfer very small amounts of liquid. Think of it like a high-precision eyedropper, but much more accurate. It usually has a plunger at the top that you press to suck up or release liquid, and a disposable plastic tip at the end to hold the sample. Micropipettes come in different sizes to handle various volumes—some can measure as little as a millionth of a liter, which is almost invisible to the naked eye.
Why People Use It
People use micropipettes because many experiments require exact amounts of liquid to work properly. If you add too much or too little of a chemical, the results can be wrong or unreliable. For example, in medical testing or DNA research, being off by just a tiny drop could change the outcome entirely. Micropipettes give scientists the control they need to be precise and consistent, which is crucial for getting trustworthy results in fields like biology, chemistry, and medicine.
Everyday Examples
You might not use a micropipette at home, but you can compare it to a kitchen measuring spoon—just way more precise. If a recipe calls for exactly one teaspoon of salt, you wouldn’t just pour it in; you’d use a spoon to measure. Similarly, scientists use micropipettes to “measure” liquids for their “recipes” in the lab. Another example is a syringe used for medicine, which measures liquid doses, though micropipettes are often even more accurate and used for much smaller amounts.
Technical Details
Definition
A micropipette is a precision laboratory instrument designed to accurately measure and transfer small volumes of liquid, typically in the microliter (µL) range. It is an essential tool in disciplines such as molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry, where exact volumetric handling is critical for experimental reproducibility.
How It Works
The device operates on the air displacement principle. A plunger is depressed by the user, expelling air from the pipette tip. Releasing the plunger creates a partial vacuum, drawing a precise volume of liquid into the disposable tip. A second, firmer press of the plunger beyond a soft initial stop ensures complete ejection of the sample. The volume is set by the user via an adjustable dial, which mechanically alters the piston's travel distance within the pipette shaft, thereby controlling the volume of air displaced and, consequently, the volume of liquid aspirated.
Key Components
Plunger Button: The user interface for aspirating and dispensing liquid.
Volume Adjustment Knob: A dial used to set the desired measurement volume.
Tip Ejector Button/ Arm: A mechanism to remove the used tip without direct hand contact.
Shaft: The lower barrel that holds the disposable tip.
Digital Display (on electronic models): Shows the set volume.
Disposable Tip: A sterile, plastic cone that holds the liquid and is replaced between samples to prevent cross-contamination.
Common Use Cases
Preparing serial dilutions for creating standard curves in quantitative analysis.
Transferring reagents, enzymes, or buffers in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) setups.
Loading samples into agarose or polyacrylamide gels for electrophoresis.
Aliquoting samples for high-throughput screening assays.
* Dispensing precise volumes in cell culture work for media changes or passaging cells.
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