Sodium Chloride, Molecular Biology Reagent Grade, MP Biomedicals™

Sodium chloride is used in a wide variety of biochemical applications, including:

• Intravenous fluids (normal saline is 0.9% w/v in water10)
• Density gradients
• A diluent to increase ionic strength in buffers or culture media
• In salt-out procedures in the isolation of DNA
• In high concentrations for preservation of foods, since bacteria cannot grow in high salt conditions

A salt-ice mixture in the ratio of approximately 33g sodium chloride to 100g ice (at −1°C) will drop in temperature to as low as −21°C, depending on the rate of stirring and the size of the ice chunks. Excess amounts of sodium chloride can destroy electrolyte balance and cause death in most animals, including humans.