What does a heat block primarily do?

A heat block primarily serves the function of heating samples using an aluminum block. This device is designed to provide uniform heating for samples placed within it, making it particularly useful in laboratory settings where consistent temperature control is essential for various biochemical reactions and experiments. The aluminum material aids in even heat distribution, ensuring that all samples reach the desired temperature efficiently.

While measuring temperature accurately is important in many laboratory contexts, a heat block itself does not measure temperature; this function is typically carried out by other instruments like thermometers or temperature probes. Culturing organisms in liquid media is a function of incubators or culture vessels designed for that purpose, not a heat block. Similarly, cooling samples rapidly is the role of cooling devices or ice baths, and not something a heat block is designed to perform.