Scientific laboratory products are essential for smooth functioning of a laboratory whether new or when refurbishing an old one. They range from laboratory equipment, lab chemicals and consumables. Different laboratories may vary with the kind of these products that they may require. When it comes to the equipment, a dissection set is an essential tool for every laboratory. The following are the major components of a dissection set and their importance in a laboratory.
- Scalpels: Scalpels are essential when it’s time to open up your rat. These are small razor blades with metal or plastic handles. They are used when one needs to make an incision into a body part that is sealed. A good example being the initial cut that is made into the skin of a rat. It is not only useful in cutting the skin, but also the muscle.
- Dissection tray: It’s important to protect the space you are working in by use of a dissection tray. It has a metallic bottom which has a plastic insert. This insert is thick and kind of soft which provides support for firm pinning of the specimen. With most trays, the inserts can be removed during the cleaning of the tray when the process is finished.
- Scissors: Scissors is also another important tool in the dissection set. It’s used to cut open muscles and expose the internal organs after the initial incision is made. It also aids in the removal of internal organs. For small animals, it also helps in bone cutting.
- Forceps: Dissecting forceps are important tools typically used in any laboratory. They can either be made of Steele or nylon at the tips which can either be straight, curved, blunt, flat or fine pointed. Forceps are basically used to grasp or hold tissues and specimens. They function as an extension of the thumb and opposing fingers.
- Needles: Dissection needles are made of steel and mounted in the ends of round wooden handles. They take up the place of fine forceps and a scalpel during the minutest points of dissection. They are used for delicate dissection, separating parts and tissue manipulation without tearing.
- Probe: This is a tool in the dissection set that is gently pushed inside a blood vessel or a duct and tends to follow the path of the structure. It acts as a guide for the scissors which can open the length of the vessel.
The dissection set is most essential for students. Above are some of the must haves in this set.
