Laboratory glossary for students

• History-taking / Anamnese: structured discussion of symptoms and relevant medical background; see examination classes.
• Anatomical forceps: generally ridged jaws without interlocking teeth; see forceps.
• Auscultation: listening to body sounds, often with a stethoscope.
• Autoclave: equipment for controlled steam processes; material and process must match; see coats.
• Flocking: decoration with short fibres or a flock-type transfer, giving a velvety surface; see decoration.
• Borosilicate glass: a glass family useful for many laboratory applications, not approval of every vessel for heat or pressure.
• Surgical/toothed forceps: interlocking teeth; the pattern name does not authorise patient care.
• Decontamination: removal or sufficient reduction of contamination using an appropriate process.
• Disinfection: targeted reduction or inactivation of relevant microorganisms; distinct from cleaning and sterilisation.
• Direct embroidery: a motif stitched directly into clothing; see embroidery.
• Single-use product: manufacturer-designated for one use; cleaning does not turn it into an unrestricted reusable product.
• Risk assessment: systematic identification and evaluation of hazards and selection of controls.
• GLP: Good Laboratory Practice, a formal regulatory quality system for certain studies. Careful student work does not establish GLP certification.
• Nitrile: usually synthetic nitrile rubber in gloves; not universal chemical resistance; see gloves.
• Permeation: molecular passage through a material without a necessarily visible hole.
• Präpkurs: German informal term for a dissection course, usually gross anatomy in medicine; see course guide.
• Powder-free: no added glove powder within the applicable product standard; not synonymous with allergy-free, sterile or chemical-resistant.
• Sektion: German medical term for a post-mortem examination; see autopsy.
• Stereomicroscope: optical equipment providing depth perception for appropriate objects, often used in dissection or surface observation.
• Sterilisation: controlled process establishing a defined sterile state; cleanliness or hot water alone is insufficient.
• U-Kurs: usually Untersuchungskurs, a clinical examination course; meaning follows the local curriculum.
• Intended purpose: the manufacturer's designated use, central to deciding appropriate application.

Return to the knowledge overview.