A&P inorganic compounds (4) Flashcards
inorganic compounds
Includes water and other compounds NOT containing CARBON and are usually simple.
NB: Organic compounds ALWAYS contain carbon and usually hydrogen too.
Fluids constitute about 60% of body mass (most of which is water).
water H2O
ABSOLUTELY essential for survival (may survive a few days without water, but weeks w/out food).
Extremely important for chemical reactions within the body (it is the medium in which most chemical reactions will occur).
Key ingredient in the internal environment of cells.
Fluid distribution in the body: In males = approx 60%, in females, it’s 55% of total body mass.
intracellular fluid
(ICF) – fluid the WITHIN cell (part of the cytoplasm) => 66.6% (2/3) of total body fluids
extracellular fluid
(ECF) – fluid OUTSIDE cells (located b/w cells & in blood) including plasma (blood) & interstitial fluid => 33.3% (1/3) of total body fluids
INTERSTITIAL/intercellular – fluid in between cells, BUT not in the blood => approx 80% of (ECF)
plasma
considered EXTRACELLULAR fluid, but found only in blood vessels. This is the liquid constituent of BLOOD. (ie. if you took a blood sample and removed all the cells & solutes, this is what’s left over) => approx 20% of ECF.
solvent properties of water
SOLVENT is defined as “an aqueous component with the ability to dissolve” (the liquid factor)
SOLUTIONS are made up of solvents (the liquid factor) and
SOLUTE (the substance being dissolved – particle or molecule)
E.g. Iced tea + sugar what happens when they mix?
B/c water is the most common medium for chemical reactions, the following occurs:
HYDROLYSIS reactions – water is added to “lyse” ie. BREAK UP the substance.
DEHYDRATION SYNTHESIS REACTIONS – “DSRs” - water is removed to build LARGER substances
hydrophylic
“water loving” – solutes will very easily dissolve in water.
E.g. glucose & salts
involves solutes which carry POLAR COVALENT bonds or IONIC bonds.
“Like begets like”
– anything that is POLAR is HYDROPHYLIC and will dissolve easily in water.
[Hydrophilic = polar = dissolves easily in water]
hydrophobic
“water fearing” – solutes WILL NOT easily dissolve, if at all, in water.
E.g. Fats, oils. – involves solutes which carry
NON-POLAR COVALENT bonds
[Hydrophobic = nonpolar = can’t dissolve easily in water]
These 2 characteristics are the basis of all absorbent properties of the nutrients, vitamins, fats, sugars, salts, hormones, & drugs in our bodies.
thermal properties of water
Water has an extremely high HEAT CAPACITY– ability to absorb or release high amounts of energy without large changes in its own temperature. E.g. Automobile radiators.
This is due to the fact that there are so many water molecules in water solutions each with many hydrogen bonds. Thus, all the energy in the form of heat is used to break the HYDROGEN bonds, and therefore, less is available to increase the motion of the water molecules (heating it the water).
general properties
a. MIXTURE – combination of physically blended elements and/or compounds that are NOT held together by any bonds.
E.g. The air we breathe is a mixture of O2, H2, N2, & CO2
Smoothies – mixture of ice, yogurt, milk, juice, frozen fruit chunks
b. COLLOID – a solution where the solutes are large enough to scatter light.
Eg.. Milk, fog
c. SUSPENSION - a mixture of solutes within a solution but over a period of time, will settle out into its different components. E.g. Blood sample if left in a test tube for a period of time.
d. VISCOSITY– a measure of the physical characteristic of the fluid to flow. The more viscous, the thicker and slower the flow. The less viscous, the thinner and faster the flow.
e. MOLE – a measurement of the total # of molecules of a particular substance in a given volume of solution. Measured in mol/L. (aka Avogadro’s #)
acids and bases
an ion is a charged atom
substances (chemical compounds) when placed in water solutions will dissociate (break apart)
ACID a substance that releases a H+ (HYDROGEN) ion when it dissociates (i.e. a proton donor)
Acidic substances have a pH of less than 7 [pH < 7]
E.g. HCl (the acid in our stomach
ACIDS are proton donors (protons are hydrogen ions)
BASE – a substance, when dissociated releases an
OH- ion (HYDROXIDE) –“basic” or “alkalinic”
proton acceptor => raises the pH [pH > 7]
E.g. Potassium hydroxide (KOH)
BASES accept protons
salt
a substance that when dissociated,
releases neither H+ or OH-
- but releases CATIONS & ANIONS.
A salt results from the reaction of an acid w/ a base!!!
E.g. KCl, NaCl,
doesn’t affect the pH b/c no H+ nor OH- is released when dissociated!!!
acids and bases are graded on the pH scale.
(pH stands for “PERCENTAGE OF HYDROGEN”)
the PH scale
denotes a 10 FOLD INCREASE of
CONCENTRATIONS of H+ ions / liter of solution
I.e. there is an exponential increase in H+ ion/liter of solution. (similar to the Richter scale used to monitor earthquakes) change 1 number on the pH scale, you change the concentration of H+ by 10x.
note: urine can be both acidic and basic depending on physiological factors
the only substance that is completely neutral is distilled water.
Excessively low pH, called ACIDOSIS can have some very serious consequences on body systems, but so can excessively high pH, called ALKALOSIS
buffers are
Chemical systems composing of compounds which remove the excess H+ & OH- out of solution so the fluids in the body DO NOT change their pH levels.
B/c the body is ever so sensitive to changes (however minimal the difference in pH), there are many buffer systems in place to monitor and counter pH changes.
being too acidic or basic has serious and life threatening consequences on physiological processes
phosphates
monohydrogen phosphate
mechanism is similar to bicarbonate
Dihydrogen phosphate
