Spark Lighter
Spark Lighter - Related Videos
11:22
Assessment of Calcium Sparks in Intact Skeletal Muscle Fibers
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Cited by 15 •
2014
Described here is a method to directly measure calcium sparks, the elementary units of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in intact skeletal muscle fibers. This method utilizes osmotic-stress-mediated triggering of Ca2+ release from ryanodine receptor in isolated muscle fibers. The dynamics and homeostatic capacity of intracellular Ca2+ signaling can be employed to assess muscle function in health and disease.
11:17
Spark Plasma Sintering Apparatus Used for the Formation of Strontium Titanate Bicrystals
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Cited by 5 •
2017
A viable technique for the formation of strontium titanate bicrystals at high pressure and fast heating rate via the spark plasma sintering apparatus is developed.
08:00
Silencing the Spark: CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Weakly Electric Fish
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Cited by 7 •
2019
Here, a protocol is presented to produce and rear CRISPR/Cas9 genome knockout electric fish. Outlined in detail are the required molecular biology, breeding, and husbandry requirements for both a gymnotiform and a mormyrid, and injection techniques to produce Cas9-induced indel F0 larvae.
07:04
Introduction to the Bunsen Burner
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2023
The Bunsen burner, named after and co-designed by Robert Bunsen in 1854, is a common laboratory instrument that produces a hot, sootless, non-luminous flame. The Bunsen Burner allows for precise regulation of the mixing of gas and oxygen in its central barrel before combustion, which ignites the flame. By manipulating the Bunsen burner, both the size and temperature of the flame can be controlled. Among other uses, the heat of a Bunsen burner flame can be used to create a convection current,...
11:10
Conducting Miller-Urey Experiments
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Cited by 16 •
2014
The Miller-Urey experiment was a pioneering study regarding the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds with possible relevance to the origins of life. Simple gases were introduced into a glass apparatus and subjected to an electric discharge, simulating the effects of lightning in the primordial Earth’s atmosphere-ocean system. The experiment was conducted for one week, after which, the samples collected from it were analyzed for the chemical building blocks of life.
FAQs
Pressing the trigger mechanically activates the piezoelectric crystal, which produces a high-voltage electrical discharge. The voltage ionizes the air in the device’s small gap, creating a conductive path through which the spark forms. This sequence converts a brief hand action into a localized ignition event for burner fuel.
The piezoelectric crystal is the key energy-generating component rather than a source of an open flame. Its response to the trigger creates the high voltage needed to ionize air across the gap. Because ignition occurs at that defined location, the device provides a focused electrical spark for starting a laboratory gas burner.
Compared with an open match flame, a spark lighter supplies ignition through a small electrical discharge. This changes how the operator handles the ignition source because there is no burning match material to carry or position after lighting. In biology laboratories, that focused point is relevant when starting gas burners during routine work.
The operator brings the device to the gas burner’s ignition area and presses the trigger, causing the piezoelectric crystal to generate the spark. When the spark reaches the burner fuel, ignition can begin. In laboratory practice, this provides a direct way to start Bunsen or other laboratory gas burners.
In biology laboratories, the device supports several burner-dependent activities after ignition: heating solutions, sterilizing equipment, and supporting aseptic work. These uses connect the lighter to both experimental preparation and contamination-conscious handling. Its role is not the heating step itself, but the controlled start of the gas burner that enables those procedures.
Because the spark is concentrated at a defined ignition point, users can handle the start-up of a gas burner without positioning a burning match. The overview associates this design with improved handling and reduced exposure to burning materials during routine experiments. That benefit is especially relevant when routine laboratory work requires burner ignition.