What is the role of an incubator in a laboratory setting?

The role of an incubator in a laboratory setting is central to cell and tissue culture work. Incubators provide a controlled environment that maintains optimal temperature and humidity levels, which are critical for the growth and maintenance of living cells. This is particularly important for experiments involving biological samples, where the growth conditions must mimic the natural environment as closely as possible to ensure proper cell function and viability. By maintaining a stable and suitable environment, incubators help researchers achieve accurate and reproducible results in their experiments involving cell proliferation and metabolic activity.

Other options, while relevant to laboratory functions, do not reflect the primary purpose of an incubator. Sterilization of equipment is typically performed using autoclaves or other sterilization techniques, monitoring pH levels usually involves specific instruments such as pH meters, and preservation of samples at low temperatures is generally accomplished using freezers or cryogenic storage rather than incubators.