Dimethyl Sulfoxide, also known as DMSO, is a colorless liquid and an important polar aprotic solvent. It can dissolve both polar and nonpolar compounds. DMSO is miscible in water and various kinds of organic solvents. It can be used in a wide range of biological applications. In cell culture, DMSO can be used as cryoprotectant adding to cell media to prevent cell death during cell freezing process. DMSO can also be used as a reversible cell cycle arrester at phase G1 or used to induce cell differentiation.
