What is the difference between PBS and HBSS?

PBS stands for Phosphate Buffered Saline, while HBSS stands for Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution. These two are forms of a saline solution with specific ingredients or chemicals added to accomplish their purposes.

Both are utilized in cell biology, mostly in molecular biology and biochemistry experiments, and biological research. PBS is a buffer. Its ambition is to achieve a neutral pH. The primary ingredients of PBS include water, sodium chloride, and sodium phosphate.

On the contrary, HBSS’s significant components include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride, and glucose is also an ingredient. Most people prefer a store-bought solution rather than instructions to create your own, as answers may vary from one ingredient to another. It all hinges on the company that made it. Most of the time, PBS comes in liquid form, while HBSS is available in liquid or powder form.

Foremost, the full meaning of PBS is phosphate-buffered saline. And on the other hand, HBSS simply stands for Hank's balanced salt solution. The two refer to a form of saline solution, but with the addition of different chemicals or ingredients to achieve their purpose. Both the PBS and HBSS are generally known to be useful in cell biology, being held on Petri dish during experiments. The PBS is a buffer that tries to maintain a neutral pH so as not to destroy the cell sample, and it is also identified to be nontoxic to cells. The main ingredients for PBS are water, sodium phosphate, and sodium chloride. In contrast, HBSS is an isotonic solution also, which also helps to maintain a particular pH level and the osmotic pressure of the sample. It basically helps to maintain the right amount of salt ions for the water inside the cell. The major components of HBSS are sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and chloride.

If in case you are wondering, you should know that PBS and HBSS are known to be solutions. They come with different ingredients and forms, though. Usually, you would find PBS, which is a buffered solution, in liquid forms.

HBSS can be found not only in liquid form but also in powder form. There are different recipes that are available, and these recipes would depend on the manufacturer who is creating these solutions or the chemicals that have been used to ensure that the solutions will be created properly.

Take note that HBSS stands for Hanks’ Balanced Solution, and they are usually composed of inorganic salts and also some glucose. PBS stands for Phosphate Buffered Saline.

PBS and HBSS are two forms of saline solution. PBS is the short form of Phosphate buffered saline, while HBSS is the short form of Hank’s balanced salt solution. Most times, people tend to confuse the two simply because they are both used as a solution when it comes to biological research and experiments.

Both solutions are good for biological experiments because they always strive to ensure a neutral solution. The first difference between the two solutions is that they are made with different ingredients.

Ingredients such as sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, and water are used in making Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), while materials such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, and chloride, are used in making Hank’s balanced salt solution. Hank’s balanced salt solution can be made to look like a powder, and it can also come in liquid form. On the other hand, PBS comes only in liquid form, and it is easier to make compared to HBSS.