physiological saline A liquid medium in which animal tissues may be kept alive for a few hours during experiments without pathological changes or distortion of the cells taking place. Such fluids are salt solutions that are isotonic with and have the same pH as the body fluids of the animal. A well-known example is Ringer's solution, formulated by the British physiologist S. Ringer (1835–1910), which is a mixture of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium chloride solutions.

physiological saline (fiz-i-ŏ-loj-ikăl) n. see saline.