The Basics of Infrared Spectrophotometry

Spectroscopy refers to the interaction between electromagnetic (EM) radiation and matter as a function of its frequency or wavelength.  From this, a number of quantitative and qualitative measurements defining aspects like sample concentrations, structure, chemical compositions etc, can be obtained depending on the spectroscopic technique and spectrum of EM radiation used.  When EM radiation interacts […]

Mastering the Microtome

Need Microtomes for your studies? Click here Description of Microtome Generally, microtomes are involved in the process of preparing samples of biological material to be examined under a microscope. Specifically, they slice material into extremely thin pieces so they can fit in a microscope slide and be studied by researchers. It holds the material in […]

Spectrophotometer

Need a Spectrophotometer for your Lab? Click here The spectrophotometer is a common optical device that measures the intensity of light relative to color (or wavelength). In the lab, they are used to determine how much light is absorbed by a colored chemical dissolved in the solution. This allows us to calculate the concentration or […]

Understanding and Using Acids

An acid is a chemical, which when added to water, increases the amount or concentration of hydrogen ions, or H+, making it acidic. A hydrogen ion (H+) is just a hydrogen atom without its electron. And, as a hydrogen atom is just one electron and one proton, the term hydrogen ion (H+) can be used […]

Difference Between Acids and Bases

Need beakers and/or flasks? Click here Acids and Bases play an important role in chemistry. We see them everywhere in our day-to-day lives, from our cleaning agents; soaps and detergents, to baking soda. Acids and bases (alkaline earth metal chemical elements) are 2 categories of corrosive substances. Any compound with a pH value between zero […]

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

  As an Amazon Associate Conductscience Inc earns revenue from qualifying purchases   Introduction Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is a cutting-edge optical technique that excites the fluorophores in a fragile axial region to visualize the cellular events occurring close to the cell surface. The evanescent field, a near-field wave which decays in intensity […]

Acids and Bases Overview

What are acids and bases? These are the chemicals that make water either acidic or alkaline. Acids make water acidic, while bases make it alkaline. To understand acids and bases properly though, we’ll need to look at water first. Water is a simple, yet complicated chemical. We’ve all heard that the formula for water is […]

Fluorescence Microscopy

Introduction Fluorescence microscopy is a specialized type of light microscopy that relies on the phenomena of fluorescence or phosphorescence. These terms describe materials that absorb light (photons) of one wavelength, then re-emit light of a second, longer wavelength.[1] The difference between fluorescence and phosphorescence is that the latter lasts much longer after the illumination is […]

Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Introduction Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, or STM, is a scanning probe technique. This means that the specimen is imaged by scanning a very sharp tip over its surface, while information about the shape or composition of the surface is collected based on interactions between the tip and the sample. This is unlike optical or electron microscopy, […]