Question

What are the functions of the White beads present in the WBC Pipette?

Answer 1

Hint: WBC Pipette is defined as a bulb pipette which is having a long stem with a capillary bore and a pointed tip. This type of bulb contains a white bead inside. A small rubber tube that is present with a mouthpiece is connected to a very small and narrow portion, above the bulb for sucking blood and fluid into the pipette.

Complete answer:
This type of diluting pipette is made up of a calibrated stem portion and also a bulbar mixing chamber which has a glass bead. This glass bead is red in colour in the RBC pipette and white bead in the WBC pipette. It is used to facilitate the uniform dispersion of the blood cells in the diluting fluid.

WBC pipette has white beads in the bulb and it has 3 markings, which are 0.5, 1 and 11. The functions of The White Bead present in WBC Pipette are:
> This white bead which is present in the bulb helps in the identification of the pipette.
> It also helps in the mixing of diluting fluid and blood.
> Also, in order to ensure that the pipette is dry, the free mobility indicates a dry pipette.
> WBC Pipette is also used for the mixing up of the dilute fluid and blood.

Note: The RBC pipette is larger than the WBC pipette. The RBC and the WBC pipette dilute the blood with fluid by 1:200 and 1:20 respectively. The easiest way to identify them is that the RBC pipette has a red bead in the bulb, whereas the WBC pipette has a white bead in the bulb.