Tris, or tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, is a common biological buffer, used throughout the DNA extraction process. During extraction from any number of sources, DNA is pH sensitive. During cell lysis, removal of unwanted cellular components and precipitation, tris is used to maintain a stable pH.
The quick answer is that tris is a basic buffer, whereas tris HCl is the acidic buffer. Keep in mind, buffers are used to resist changes to pH. Even small concentrations of a strong acid or base, without a buffer, could significantly change environmental pH.
Tris, or tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, or known during medical use as tromethamine or THAM, is an organic compound with the formula (HOCH2)3CNH2. It is extensively used in biochemistry and molecular biology as a component of buffer solutions such as in TAE and TBE buffers, especially for solutions of nucleic acids.
Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride (Tris-HCl) is a commonly used buffering solution. The role of Tris-HCl in molecular biology is to control the acidity and osmolarity of a solution. Due to its properties, Tris-HCl is often a component of lysis buffers.
