Lab Hazard Summaries For Biology 123 and Biology 123 Honors labs

Science - A Process

Observations and Measurements: The Microscope

Observations and Measurements: Measuring Techniques

Using the Spectrophotometer

Organic Molecules

Prokaryotic Cells

Eukaryotic Cells

Osmosis and Diffusion

Mitosis

Enzymes

Energetics, Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Meiosis: Independent Assortment and Segregation

Virtual Fly Project

Genes and Chromosomes: Chromosome Mapping

Human Genetics

DNA Isolation

DNA - Genetic Material: Replication, Transcription, & Translation

Molecular Genetics

Alu DNA Fingerprinting

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Acquaint students with safety features of the lab.

• Introduce students to the online safety manual.
• Do not turn off or close computer cabinets.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use the glass or metal discard containers to dispose of all sharp waste materials.
• Students must be careful with razor blades. Know the location of the first aid kit

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use the glass and metal waste discard containers to discard sharp objects.
• Ask students to leave the plastic safety rings on the graduated cylinders.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Never mouth pipet a chemical. Please use manual pipet aids to train students to pipet liquids.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Turn spectrophotometers off before leaving the laboratory.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: albumin, coomassie blue, glacial acetic acid and methanol.
• Do not discard coomassie blue waste down the sinks. Solvent is methanol and glacial acetic acid which may form explosive concentrations in sewers. Use labeled waste containers.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Turn off and unplug hot plates before leaving the lab.
• Do not mouth pipet liquids.
• Use test tube holders to handle hot test tubes. Avoid pointing hot test tubes toward others.
• Wear safety goggles.
• Limit glassware breakage by not filling hot beakers with cold water.
• Place broken glass in the sharps discard container.
• Do not bring water to a "hard boil". Test tube may shoot out and injure someone.
• Use hand protectors to handle hot beakers.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: albumin, benedict's reagent, biuret, ethanol, glucose, lugol's, maltose, ninhydrin (in ethanol solvent), potassium iodate, potassium iodide, sodium hydroxide, starch soluble, sucrose and sudan IV (in ethanol).
• Honors labs also review MSDSs for: n-butanol, collidine and glacial acetic acid.
• Honors students MUST USE A HOOD to develop their amino acid chromatograms by spraying them with a ninhydrin-collidine solution.
• Instruct students in safe chemical handling techniques. Amino acids are not hazardous.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use the glass or metal discard containers to dispose of all sharp waste materials.
• Know how to locate and use the laboratory fire extinguisher.
• Turn off Bunsen burners and gas lines before vacating the lab. Warn students not to light the gas lines without using a Bunsen burner!
• Be sure to position Bunsen burners so the overhead cabinets do not ignite!
• Know the lab evacuation plan, and the location and operation of the fire extinguisher.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use ethanol to maintain sterile loops. Keep ethanol away from Bunsen burners.
• Use liquid waste discard container for staining solutions.
• Note: Gram's Crystal Violet, Gram's alcohol, and Safranin O are all in ethanol solution and acquire the hazards of ethanol.
• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for acetone, agar, ammonium oxalate, bleach, crystal violet, ethanol, immersion oil, lugol's and safranin.

BIOHAZARD TIPS:

• Use aseptic technique to avoid potential biohazard transmissions.
• Sterilize used implements in ethanol and by flaming.
• Use biohazard bags to discard cultures or contaminated paper products.
• Wash surfaces and hands with germicidal detergent or 10% bleach solution.

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Eukaryotic Cells

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use the glass or metal discard containers to dispose of all sharp waste materials.
• Students must be careful with razor blades. Know the location of the first aid kit.
• Do not turn off or close computer cabinets.
• Unplug video imaging camera power supply when not in use.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: DPIP, lugol's, potassium phosphate, monobasic, sodium phosphate dibasic, sucrose and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Place broken glassware and paper waste into the proper containers.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review the MSDSs and hazard summaries for: ammonium hydroxide, benedict's, carmine, glucose, hydrochloric acid, ink, lugol's, phenolphthalein, starch, sucrose and sodium chloride.
• Phenolpthalein is the active ingredient in many chemical laxatives.
• Please use appropriate waste containers for hazardous chemicals.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Substitute prepared slides for onion root tip squash exercise.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Put broken glass in glass discard container.

• Honors labs - sterile glassware for Exercise B must be segregated from glassware used in Exercise A.
• Turn off and unplug the hot plates before leaving the lab.
• Use revised version of Exercise A from the copy packet. Use lab manual for extensions.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Honors labs - keep rennilase or emporase refrigerated when not in use.
• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: catechol, buffer ingredients (boric acid, hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, potassium hydrogen phthalate, sodium phosphate monobasic and sodium phosphate dibasic) and pectinase.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Place broken glassware in the glass discard container.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: bromothymol blue, DPIP, ethanol, glucose, hydrochloric acid, lugol's, malonic acid, neutral red, phenol red, potassium phosphate - dibasic, potassium phosphate - monobasic, sodium hydroxide, succinic acid , sucrose and tetrazolium blue.
• Chemicals in solution may acquire the solvent's hazards.
• Phenol red may be substituted for bromothymol blue as a CO₂ indicator.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Know the lab evacuation plan, and the location and operation of the fire extinguisher.
• Warn students not to touch hot plate or heat lamp surfaces.
• Turn off and unplug electrical equipment before leaving the lab.
• Discard broken glass and capillary tubes in the glass discard container.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use hot ethanol to extract Coleus pigments. Do not allow other solvents near hot plates.
• Many chemicals produce flammable vapors. Keep containers tightly closed when not in use.
• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: acetone, benedict's, calcium carbonate, chloroform, diethyl ether, ethanol, lugol's, methanol, petroleum ether, potassium hydroxide, silica gel and sodium bicarbonate.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Honors Sordaria cross plates prepared by the Technical Staff. Keep taped shut when not in use.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Honors Sordaria plates: Review MSDS's and lab summaries for: corn meal agar, dextrose, potassum phosphate monobasic, sucrose and yeast extract.
• Sterilize implements used in Sordaria cross plate in ethanol.

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Mendel's Pea Project

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Do not turn off or close computer cabinets.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Use Sordaria plates prepared by the Technical Staff. Keep taped shut when not in use.
• Use largest Drosophila virilis larvae for chromosome squash. Keep vial closed when not in use.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Review MSDS's and hazard summaries for: aceto-orcein or aceto-carmine stain, calcium chloride, corn meal agar, dextrose, glacial acetic acid, lactic acid, potassium chloride, potassum phosphate monobasic, sodium chloride, sucrose and yeast extract.
• Sterilize implements used in Sordaria cross plate in ethanol.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Demonstration oil scopes are set up with male and female cheek scrapings.

• Wear gloves when handling samples or gels.
• UV light can damage vision. Use the UV shield with the transilluminator.
• Agarose is hot - warn students about possibility of thermal burns.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Ethidium bromide is a mutagen. Do not let students handle gels after staining.
• See MSDSs and hazard summaries for: agarose, boric acid, bromophenol blue, ethidium bromide, EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt), sodium chloride, sucrose and Tris.
• Film packs contain corrosive chemicals, avoid contact with contents

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Keep solid objects out of blenders. The container will break and "shoot" the object out at high speed.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Place ethanol on ice in an ice bucket. Do not refrigerate unless the lab refrigerator is explosion proof.
• If homogenization solution has turned an opaque white, warm in a water bath and swirl until it is back in solution.
• Toluidine Blue has been added if students wish to make and stain DNA wet mounts.
• Review MSDSs and hazard summaries for: chloroform, EDTA, ethanol, sodium citrate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium chloride and toluidine blue.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• No hazardous materials in this lab.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Wear gloves when handling samples or gels.
• UV light can damage vision. Use the UV shield with the transilluminator.
• Agarose is hot - warn students about possibility of thermal burns.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Ethidium bromide is a mutagen. Do not let students handle gels after staining.
• See MSDSs and hazard summaries for: agarose, boric acid, bromophenol blue, ethidium bromide, EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt), restriction enzymes (EcoR1 and HindIII), sodium chloride, sucrose and Tris.
• Film packs contain corrosive chemicals, avoid contact with contents.

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GENERAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Lab takes two periods. First to setup PCR reactions, second period to run alleles on agarose gels.

• Wear gloves when handling PCR tubes, reaction products or agarose gels.
• UV light can damage vision. Use the UV shield with the transilluminator.
• Agarose is hot - warn students about possibility of thermal burns.

CHEMICAL SAFETY TIPS:

• Ethidium bromide is a mutagen. Do not let students handle gels after staining.
• See MSDSs and hazard summaries for: agarose, boric acid, bromophenol blue, chelex, ethidium bromide, EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt), sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, sucrose, Taq polymerase, Tris, and xylene cyanol.
• Film packs contain corrosive chemicals, avoid contact with contents.

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