The current role of Balanced Salt Solutions in Cell Culture is multi-faceted and can be divided into four-fold principal functions:
Provides cells with water and certain bulk inorganic ions essential for normal cell metabolism.
Serves not only as an irrigating and transporting fluid, but also as a diluent (i.e. especially in cell enumerations) while maintaining osmoregulation, the optimal and constant balance of osmotic pressure gradients between the intracellular and extracellular compartments.
Provides a Buffering System to support the medium within the physiological range of 7.2-7.6
When combined with a carbohydrate (CHO) such as Glucose (C6H12O6),it provides the principal energy source for Cellular Metabolic Processes.