An inoculation loop (also called a smear loop, inoculation wand or microstreaker) is a simple tool used mainly by
microbiologist
A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...
s to pick up and transfer a small sample of microorganisms called
inoculum
In biology, inoculum refers to the source material used for inoculation. ''Inoculum'' may refer to:
* In medicine, material that is the source of the inoculation in a vaccine
* In microbiology, propagules: cells, tissue, or viruses that are used to ...
from a
microbial culture, e.g. for
streaking on a
culture plate.
[Ronald Westphal (1988): ]
Microbiological Techniques in School
', page 34. Document No. 28 in the series ''Science and Technology Education''. This process is called
inoculation.
The tool consists of a thin handle with a loop about 5 mm wide or smaller at the end. It was originally made of twisted
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typi ...
wire (such as
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
,
tungsten
Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isol ...
or
nichrome), but disposable
molded plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
versions are now common.
See also
*
Cell spreader
In microbiology, a cell spreader or plate spreader is a tool used to smoothly spread cells and bacteria on a culture plate, such as a petri dish.
Cell spreaders can be made from glass, plastic, or metal, and come in various shapes.
A Dri ...
*
Micropipette
References
Laboratory equipment
Microbiology equipment
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