3 - Acids and Bases Flashcards
What is an alkali?
Another word for a base
Molecule formed by an alkaline metal and a highly basic ion like hydroxyl
What are the alkali metals
Farthest left column of the periodic table
lithium, sodium, potassium
How does an alkali or base react with free H+?
The base portion of the molecules bind with H+ and remove it from the solution
What is a strong acid?
Give an example
rapidly dissociates and releases especially large amounts of H+ in a solution
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
What is a weak acid?
Give an example
Less likely to dissociate their ions, and release H+ much more slowly
Carbonic Acid (H2CO3)
What is a strong base?
Give an example
Reacts rapidly and strongly with H+ and quickly removes it from a solution
Hydroxide (OH-)
OH- reacts with H+ to form ______
water
What is a weak base?
Give an example
Binds weakly with H+
Bicarbonate (HCO3-)
At a normal pH of 7.4, what is the [H+]?
40 nEq/L
What are the upper and lower limits of pH in humans?
6.8 - 8.0
What is the pH of gastric HCl?
0.8!
Acid base regulation occurs in what three places?
The blood (buffers)
The lungs (respiration)
The kidneys (excretion of bicarb and H)
What is the function of the buffer system?
Do not effect the total amount of H+ in the body
They keep the H+ tied up until balance can be restored
What is the definition of a buffer?
Any substance that can reversibly bind H+
How is carbonic acid (H2CO3) formed?
CO2 + H2O ⇔ H2CO3
Carbonic anhydrase increases the speed of reaction
Where is carbonic anhydrase especially abundant?
Aveolar Walls
Renal Tubule Walls
In the buffering system, what is the primary reason the [H+] is so low?
H2CO3 is a very weak acid, so it holds onto almost all the
H+ it binds to
In buffering systems, what is K’ ?
The dissociation constant
The concetration of the acid relative to its dissociated ions
What is the calculation of K’ of H2CO3?
K’ = (H x HCO3) / (H2CO3)
The amount of CO2 dissolved in the blood is directly proportional to the amount of ______________
undissociated H2CO3
What is pK?
-log K
What is the Henderson-Hasslebach Equation?
What does it calculate?
pH = 6.1 + log [(HCO3)/(0.03 x PCO2)]
the pH of a solution if the molar concentration of HCO3 and the PCO2 are known
Any metabolic acid-base disorder is caused by
a primary change in the ECF [HCO3]
What is the pK of of the bicarb buffer system?
6.1
In the bicarb buffer system, if the pK is equal to the pH, what does that mean?
each of the components (HCO3 and CO2) are present in equal amount
50% of the total concentration of the system is HCO3
50% of the total concentration of the system is CO2
Given that the pKa of the bicarb buffer system is 6.1, why are the kidneys and lungs so important?
A system is most effective within 1 pH unit above or below the pKa
Since the pH of the ECF is about 7.4, the bicarb buffer system is operating outside of its optimal effect
The difference is made up by the lungs and kidneys