Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (DPBS) are commonly used in biological applications. Both buffers offer a balanced salt solution used for a variety of cell culture applications, such as washing cells before dissociation, transporting cells or tissue samples, diluting cells for counting, and preparing reagents. Both include sodium chloride and phosphate and are formulated to prevent osmotic shock and maintain water balance in living cells. PBS is a commonly used buffer with a simple formulation, while DPBS also includes potassium chloride and is available in a larger variety of formulations, including with or without calcium and magnesium and with or without glucose and pyruvate.