Hank's Solution
Hank's Solution - Related Videos
07:27
Making Solutions in the Laboratory
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2023
The ability to successfully make solutions is a basic laboratory skill performed in virtually all biological and chemical experiments. A solution is a homogenous mixture of solute dissolved in bulk liquid known as the solvent. Solutions can be described by their solute concentration, a measure of how much solute is present per unit of solution. In this video, a step-by-step procedure for how to make a water-based, or aqueous, solution for biological applications is presented. The video...
09:49
Solutions and Concentrations
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Dr. Michael Evans — Georgia Institute of Technology A solution is a homogeneous mixture containing some components in small amounts, called solutes, and one component in a large amount, called the solvent. Solid-liquid solutions contain one or more solid solutes dissolved in a liquid solvent. Solutions are ubiquitous in chemistry: they are used to store and handle small amounts of material, carry out chemical reactions, and develop materials with controllable properties.
02:12
General Properties of Solutions
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2020
Many common substances around us exist as a solution, such as ocean water, air, and gasoline. All solutions are mixtures of substances that are composed of varying amounts of two or more types of atoms or molecules. A mixture with a non-uniform composition is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas a mixture with a uniform composition is a homogeneous mixture. The components that make the homogeneous mixture are evenly spread out and thoroughly mixed. A solution is a homogeneous mixture that is...
02:16
Solution Formation
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2020
There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride. This selective solubility...
02:39
Enthalpy of Solution
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2020
There are two criteria that favor, but do not guarantee, the spontaneous formation of a solution: A decrease in the internal energy of the system (an exothermic change, as discussed in the previous chapter on thermochemistry) An increased dispersal of matter in the system (which indicates an increase in the entropy of the system, as you will learn about in the later chapter on thermodynamics) In the process of dissolution, an internal energy change often, but not always, occurs as heat is...
FAQs
Isotonicity helps limit differences in osmotic pressure between Hank's Solution and the cellular environment. By reducing water movement that could stress cells or tissues, the medium supports cellular integrity during short-term manipulation outside the body. This stability is especially relevant when samples are washed, moved, or prepared for a downstream biological procedure.
Buffering components help limit changes in pH while cells or tissues are handled in the medium. Maintaining a more stable chemical environment complements the salt-based control of osmotic pressure, reducing avoidable environmental stress during manipulation. The benefit depends on using the solution under appropriate experimental conditions, so pH stability should be considered alongside the intended biological procedure.
The inorganic salts supply ions while helping establish the balanced conditions needed for an isotonic environment. Those ions and the resulting osmotic balance help cells and tissues tolerate handling outside the body. This chemical support makes the medium suitable for washing, transporting tissue samples, and preparing specimens before additional biological procedures.
Maintaining osmotic pressure helps reduce manipulation-related stress, so samples enter microscopy or enzymatic assays in a more consistent state. HBSS does not merely provide liquid contact; its balanced salts help preserve cellular integrity during short-term handling. This preparation can support more reproducible observations or assay conditions when the solution is used appropriately.
During cell washing, Hank's Solution provides an isotonic medium that helps limit osmotic disturbance while surrounding material is removed. The solution therefore supports cell integrity during a manipulation that can otherwise alter the cells' immediate environment. After washing, cells can proceed to a later laboratory step, such as cell culture, microscopy, or an enzymatic assay.
Hank's Solution is useful when tissue samples must be moved outside the body before the next laboratory procedure. Its balanced salts and buffering components help maintain conditions that support tissue integrity during short-term handling, rather than leaving the sample in an uncontrolled aqueous environment. This use is relevant when transport is followed by specimen preparation, microscopy, or cell culture.
Used during preparation or short-term handling, HBSS can reduce environmental stress before microscopy or an enzymatic assay begins. By helping preserve cellular integrity and limit changes in osmotic pressure and pH under suitable conditions, it promotes a more consistent starting state for the procedure. That consistency can improve the reproducibility of observations or assay results.