0
Precision Quality to Your Research verified ISO 13485 Certified | SBA WOSB | NJ MWBE · NYC MWBE · Illinois BEP arrow_forward View Details

Physiological Buffers - Guide

Product#: Buffers-Physiological-Buffers
$0.00

Select See the table below

  • See the table below

Availability:
Ships in 24 hours

verified 2 Subcategories · 3 Products · Krebs-Ringer & ACSF

Physiological Buffers - Category Selection Guide

Two groups, one page. Find your formulation in the catalog below and go straight to the product page — the design rationale, history, applications, and selection guidance follow.

Physiological Buffers — Catalog · 3 Products in 2 Groups
Select the reagent that matches your workflow — click View for the product page.
Product Buffer Base Primary Application Product Page
1 Krebs-Ringer Buffer — metabolic, microfluidic & open-air workflows 2 products
UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffer with Calcium chloride, 10mM HEPES, 0.2% Bovine Serum Albumin and Sodium bicarbonate, without Glucose, 1X (Liquid), 0.04um sterile filtered HEPES + NaHCO3 Metabolic & microfluidic studies View
UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffer with Calcium Chloride, 10mM HEPES Buffer, and 0.2% Bovine Serum Albumin, without Glucose and Sodium Bicarbonate, 1X (Liquid) HEPES Open-air / custom-gas workflows View
2 Physiological Buffer — ex vivo neural tissue viability 1 product
Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF) CSF-matched Neurobiology standard View

Not sure which group? Compare the two subcategories · See applications by group · Read the FAQ

Category Snapshot

What a physiological buffer has to do that PBS does not

Standard buffers like PBS or Tris are fine for basic biochemistry, but modeling living systems in vitro demands more. Physiological buffers are multi-component formulations engineered to mimic the electrolyte, nutrient, and buffering profiles of real tissue — keeping primary cells, tissue slices, and microfluidic organ models alive and functioning outside the body.

  • Group 1 — Krebs-Ringer Buffer (2): two UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffers — one with sodium bicarbonate, one without.
  • Group 2 — Physiological Buffer (1): Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF).
  • Complex electrolyte balance — precise mixtures of monovalent (Na+, K+) and divalent (Ca2+, Mg2+) cations needed for membrane potentials, signaling, and contraction.
  • Dual buffering — many formulations combine an organic buffer (HEPES) with a gas-regulated physiological buffer (sodium bicarbonate) to hold pH ~7.4 across different setups.
  • Metabolic & structural support — glucose as an energy source; proteins like BSA to prevent surface adhesion and stabilize fragile membrane proteins.
  • Microfluidic readiness — 0.04 µm filtration prevents microchannel clogging in organ-on-a-chip platforms.
Ringer 1883 Krebs–Henseleit 1932 RUO
CATEGORY REFERENCE · PHYSIOLOGICAL BUFFERS
The category at a glance — how many products, which groups, and the numbers that define them
  • Products in this category3
  • Subcategories2
  • Krebs-Ringer Buffer configurations2
  • Physiological Buffer (ACSF) configurations1
  • HEPES concentration (Krebs-Ringer)10 mM
  • Bovine serum albumin (Krebs-Ringer)0.2%
  • Glucose (Krebs-Ringer)Glucose-free, both
  • Sodium bicarbonate (Krebs-Ringer)1 of 2
  • Sterile filtration (bicarbonate Krebs-Ringer)0.04 µm
  • Target physiological pH~7.4
Why Physiological Buffers Are Needed

Recreating a dynamic, nutrient-rich fluid on the bench

In vivo, cells are bathed in dynamic, nutrient-rich fluid that manages osmotic pressure, supplies energy, and clears waste. Physiological buffers recreate that in the lab — and each component below answers a specific way that a simple saline fails.

bolt

Complex electrolyte balance

Precise mixtures of monovalent (Na+, K+) and divalent (Ca2+, Mg2+) cations, needed for membrane potentials, signaling, and contraction.

tune

Dual buffering

Many formulations combine an organic buffer (HEPES) with a gas-regulated physiological buffer (sodium bicarbonate) to hold pH ~7.4 across different experimental setups.

local_fire_department

Metabolic support

Glucose serves as the energy source. Removing it deliberately — a glucose-free formulation — is what makes a controlled baseline for measuring cellular respiration and metabolism possible.

shield

Structural support (BSA)

Proteins like BSA prevent surface adhesion and stabilize fragile membrane proteins — the reason 0.2% BSA appears in both Krebs-Ringer configurations.

filter_alt

Microchannel-safe filtration

Organ-on-a-chip microfluidics demands ultra-filtered, high-purity versions of these classic solutions to avoid nanoscale clogging; 0.04 µm filtration prevents microchannel clogging.

air

Atmosphere compatibility

A bicarbonate-free, glucose-free version retains HEPES buffering and protein stabilization while giving stable pH in normal atmosphere — for open-air and custom-gas workflows.

The specification that decides the workflow

Two variables separate these products more than anything else: whether sodium bicarbonate is present, and whether glucose is present. Bicarbonate sets what atmosphere the experiment has to run under; glucose sets whether the medium is a support solution or a controlled metabolic baseline. Read both before matching a formulation to a protocol.

~7.4
target pH held by HEPES plus sodium bicarbonate dual buffering
0.04 µm
filtration that prevents microchannel clogging in microfluidic platforms
History of Physiological Buffers

From a frog heart in tap water to organ-on-a-chip

Every number on a modern physiological buffer datasheet traces back to one of four developments. Each one explains a component you still see in the formulation today.

  1. 1

    1882–1883 Ringer and the calcium requirement

    British physiologist Sydney Ringer found that an isolated frog heart keeps beating only when the bathing solution contains the right ratios of sodium, potassium, and calcium — famously discovering the calcium requirement after an assistant used mineral-rich tap water. Significance: founded the field of physiological saline design; “Ringer's solution” is the ancestor of modern cell-culture and tissue media.

  2. 2

    1932 Krebs & Henseleit formalize bicarbonate buffering

    Hans Krebs & Kurt Henseleit, in their urea-cycle work, formalized a bicarbonate-buffered, electrolyte-balanced solution (Krebs–Henseleit / Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer) for maintaining tissue slices. Significance: established the bicarbonate-buffered, substrate-supplemented media used for ex vivo metabolic studies.

  3. 3

    1957 The first brain-slice recordings

    Choh-Luh Li & Henry McIlwain made the first electrical recordings from mammalian brain slices, showing (among other things) the need for glucose in the bathing medium. Significance: launched brain-slice electrophysiology and the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) formulations that support it.

  4. 4

    Late 20th century–present Refinement and miniaturization

    Neuroscience drove refinement of ACSF (including sucrose / NMDG variants to reduce excitotoxicity during slicing), and organ-on-a-chip microfluidics now demands ultra-filtered, high-purity versions of these classic solutions to avoid nanoscale clogging. Significance: extended physiological media from tissue baths to microfluidic and translational platforms.

Subcategory Reference

How this category is organized

Two groups. Use this table to find the right group before drilling into a product.

Group What it is Buffer bases Products
1 · Krebs-Ringer Buffer UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffers with calcium chloride, 10 mM HEPES and 0.2% BSA, glucose-free — one with sodium bicarbonate, one without HEPES ± NaHCO3 2
2 · Physiological Buffer Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF), matched to the CNS electrolyte profile CSF-matched 1
Bicarbonate buffering is gas-dependent — plan the atmosphere, not just the formulation. The source describes sodium bicarbonate as a gas-regulated physiological buffer, and describes the bicarbonate-free product as delivering stable pH in normal atmosphere without a 5% CO2 incubator. Read together, that means the bicarbonate-containing formulation is intended for a CO2-equilibrated environment (a 5% CO2 incubator, or carbogen bubbling in a tissue bath), while the bicarbonate-free formulation is the one to reach for on an open bench. Confirm the gassing requirement on the individual product datasheet before setting up.
Applications by Group

Which workflow, which group

Select a group to see the workflows it is intended to support.

UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffers
  • Metabolic flux studies — controlled-substrate media (e.g., glucose-free) for measuring cellular respiration and metabolism
  • Microfluidics / organ-on-a-chip — circulating physiological media through microscopic cellular channels; 0.04 µm filtration prevents microchannel clogging and BSA limits surface adhesion
  • Isolated organ & tissue-bath experiments — sustaining muscle contraction or vascular tone in isolated cardiovascular tissue
  • Open-air / custom-gas workflows — the bicarbonate-free version gives stable pH in normal atmosphere without a 5% CO2 incubator
Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF)
  • Neurophysiology / brain-slice electrophysiology — incubating and recording from living brain or spinal-cord slices; ACSF matches the CNS electrolyte profile and maintains acute brain-slice viability for electrophysiology and patch-clamp recording
  • Sucrose / NMDG ACSF variants were developed to reduce excitotoxicity during slicing
Product Comparison

How the three formulations compare

Core attributes and the workflow each product is intended for.

Product Core Attributes Best Use
UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffer + CaCl2, 10 mM HEPES, 0.2% BSA, + sodium bicarbonate, glucose-free, 0.04 µm filtered Glucose-free, HEPES/bicarbonate double-buffered Metabolic & microfluidic studies — glucose-free baseline for controlled metabolism; BSA limits surface adhesion; 0.04 µm filtration prevents microchannel clogging
UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffer + CaCl2, 10 mM HEPES, 0.2% BSA, glucose-free & bicarbonate-free Bicarbonate-free, glucose-free Open-air / custom-gas workflows — stable pH in normal atmosphere without a 5% CO2 incubator, while retaining HEPES buffering and protein stabilization
Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF) Matches CNS electrolyte profile Neurobiology standard — maintains acute brain-slice viability for electrophysiology and patch-clamp recording
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often when a purchasing spec meets a bench protocol.

Into two groups. Krebs-Ringer Buffer (2 products) holds the two UltraClean Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate Buffers; both are glucose-free and carry calcium chloride, 10 mM HEPES and 0.2% BSA, and they differ in sodium bicarbonate. Physiological Buffer (1 product) holds Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF), which matches the CNS electrolyte profile.
Standard buffers like PBS or Tris are fine for basic biochemistry, but modeling living systems in vitro demands more. Physiological buffers are multi-component formulations engineered to mimic the electrolyte, nutrient, and buffering profiles of real tissue — keeping primary cells, tissue slices, and microfluidic organ models alive and functioning outside the body. In vivo, cells sit in a dynamic, nutrient-rich fluid that manages osmotic pressure, supplies energy, and clears waste; a simple isotonic buffer does none of that.
Sodium bicarbonate. Both are glucose-free, both carry calcium chloride, 10 mM HEPES, and 0.2% BSA. The bicarbonate-containing version is HEPES/bicarbonate double-buffered and is intended for metabolic and microfluidic studies; it is 0.04 µm filtered so it will not clog microchannels. The bicarbonate-free version is for open-air and custom-gas workflows, giving stable pH in normal atmosphere without a 5% CO2 incubator while retaining HEPES buffering and protein stabilization.
Glucose is the energy source in a physiological medium. Removing it deliberately is what makes a controlled baseline for measuring cellular respiration and metabolism possible — the basis of the metabolic flux studies these formulations are intended for.
Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF). It matches the CNS electrolyte profile and is the neurobiology standard — it maintains acute brain-slice viability for electrophysiology and patch-clamp recording. ACSF formulations exist because Li & McIlwain's 1957 brain-slice recordings showed that a bathing medium for cortical tissue needs glucose as well as the right ions.
Because the channels are small enough that ordinary particulate loads matter. Organ-on-a-chip microfluidics demands ultra-filtered, high-purity versions of these classic solutions to avoid nanoscale clogging, and 0.04 µm filtration is what prevents microchannel clogging. The 0.2% BSA in the same formulation also limits surface adhesion, which is a second failure mode specific to microscopic channels.
Two things. Proteins like BSA prevent surface adhesion — important when a dilute sample or a small cell population would otherwise be lost to tubing, plasticware, or microchannel walls — and they stabilize fragile membrane proteins. Both UltraClean Krebs-Ringer configurations carry 0.2% BSA.
Key References

The primary literature behind physiological buffers

The three papers that define the lineage of every product on this page.

  1. Ringer, S. (1883). A further contribution regarding the influence of the different constituents of the blood on the contraction of the heart. The Journal of Physiology, 4(1), 29–42. — The landmark paper establishing that calcium (and potassium) are essential to sustain contraction; the origin of physiological saline design. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1883.sp000120
  2. Krebs, H. A., & Henseleit, K. (1932). Untersuchungen über die Harnstoffbildung im Tierkörper. Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemie, 210(1–2), 33–66. — The work that established the Krebs–Henseleit (Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate) buffer for sustaining tissue ex vivo.
  3. Li, C.-L., & McIlwain, H. (1957). Maintenance of resting membrane potentials in slices of mammalian cerebral cortex and other tissues in vitro. The Journal of Physiology, 139(2), 178–190. — The founding study of brain-slice electrophysiology and the ACSF-type media that support it. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1957.sp005885
Buffer selection support. For help matching a buffer to a specific protocol, for customization requests (different concentrations, added supplements, altered pH), or for documentation, contact support@diagnocine.com. Ready to order? Back to the Physiological Buffers catalog.

Related Products

Recently Viewed

Satisfaction
Quality Rating
Value Rating
Style Rating

X