Laboratory II

A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicians' offices, clinics, hospitals, and regional and national referral centers.

Overview

The organisation and contents of laboratories are determined by the differing requirements of the specialists working within. A physics laboratory might contain a particle accelerator or vacuum chamber, while a metallurgy laboratory could have apparatus for casting or refining metals or for testing their strength. A chemist or biologist might use a wet laboratory, while a psychologist's laboratory might be a room with one-way mirrors and hidden cameras in which to observe behavior. In some laboratories, such as those commonly used by computer scientists, computers (sometimes supercomputers) are used for either simulations or the analysis of data. Scientists in other fields will still use other types of laboratories. Engineers use laboratories as well to design, build, and test technological devices.

Scientific laboratories can be found as research room and learning spaces in schools and universities, industry, government, or military facilities, and even aboard ships and spacecraft.

Despite the underlying notion of the lab as a confined space for experts, the term "laboratory" is also increasingly applied to workshop spaces such as Living Labs, Fab Labs, or Hackerspaces, in which people meet to work on societal problems or make prototypes, working collaboratively or sharing resources. This development is inspired by new, participatory approaches to science and innovation and relies on user-centred design methods and concepts like Open innovation or User innovation,. One distinctive feature of work in Open Labs is the phenomenon of translation, driven by the different backgrounds and levels of expertise of the people involved.

History

Early instances of "laboratories" recorded in English involved alchemy and the preparation of medicines.

The emergence of Big Science during World War II increased the size of laboratories and scientific equipment, introducing particle accelerators and similar devices.

The early laboratories

The earliest laboratory according to the present evidence is a home laboratory of Pythagoras of Samos, the well-known Greek philosopher and scientist. This laboratory was created when Pythagoras conducted an experiment about tones of sound and vibration of string.

In the painting of Louis Pasteur by Albert Edelfelt in 1885, Louis Pasteur is shown comparing a note in his left hand with a bottle filled with a solid in his right hand, and not wearing any personal protective equipment.

Researching in teams started in the 19th century, and many new kinds of equipment were developed in the 20th century.

A 16th century underground alchemical laboratory was accidentally discovered in the year 2002. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor was believed to be the owner. The laboratory is called Speculum Alchemiae and is preserved as a museum in Prague.

File:Chemielabor des 18. Jahrhunderts, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien.jpg, Chemistry laboratory of the 18th century, of the sort used by Antoine Lavoisier in his laboratory, 1901
File:Kulutusosuuskuntien Keskusliiton kokoelma D1974 11365A (30257239153).jpg, A laboratory of the Chemistry Department of the University of Helsinki on September 23, 1960
File:Fotothek df n-09 0000024.jpg, A laboratory in the 1970s
File:MUIC chem lab.jpg, Chemical laboratory in Mahidol University International College since 2009
File:Muic counter in lab chem.jpg, Early 2000s style of counter in Chemical Laboratory, Mahidol University International College, Thailand
File:Chemisches Labor.jpg, Laboratory for organic Chemistry at the University of Applied Science Aachen, Campus Jülich, Germany

Techniques

Laboratory techniques are the set of procedures used on natural sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics to conduct an experiment, all of them follow the scientific method; while some of them involve the use of complex laboratory equipment from laboratory glassware to electrical devices, and others require more specific or expensive supplies.

Equipment and supplies

Laboratory equipment refers to the various tools and equipment used by scientists working in a laboratory:

The classical equipment includes tools such as Bunsen burners and microscopes as well as specialty equipment such as operant conditioning chambers, spectrophotometers and calorimeters.

;Chemical laboratories
* laboratory glassware such as the beaker or reagent bottle
* Analytical devices as HPLC or spectrophotometers

;Molecular biology laboratories + Life science laboratories

* Autoclave
* Microscope
* Centrifuges
* Shakers & mixers
* Pipette
* Thermal cyclers (PCR)
* Photometer
* Refrigerators and Freezers
* Universal testing machine
* ULT Freezers
* Incubators
* Bioreactor
* Biological safety cabinets
* Sequencing instruments
* Fume hoods
* Environmental chamber
* Humidifier
* Weighing scale
* Reagents (supply)
* Pipettes tips (supply)
* Polymer (supply) consumables for small volumes (µL and mL scale), mainly sterile
Laboratory equipment is generally used to either perform an experiment or to take measurements and gather data. Larger or more sophisticated equipment is generally called a scientific instrument.

Specialized types

The title of ''laboratory'' is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories. These notably include:

* Film laboratory or Darkroom
* Clandestine lab for the production of illegal drugs
* Computer lab
* Crime lab used to process crime scene