Description: A salt commonly used in the preparation of phosphate buffered saline and for the extraction and solubilization of proteins.3,5 A good potassium source.1,4 Also used in the hypotonic KCl-propidium iodide protocol for univariate analysis of metaphase chromosomes2; dissociation of eukaryotic ribosomes into subunits by high concentrations of potassium (0.3-1.0 M)6; preparation of mitochondria, provides an ionic osmotic support for those tissues that assume a gelatinous consistency upon homogenization