Biochem EX1 - Acids Bases

Question 1

What does the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation Explain?

Answer 1

The ratio of protonated to unprotonated form present at a particular pH when compared to the pKa of the compartment.

Question 2

Name an attribute that may change when the pH a drug is exposed goes above or below that drug’s pKa? This attribute is important to drug absorption, where it becomes distributed in the body, and its excretion.

Answer 2

Whether the drug is predominantly charged or uncharged.

Question 3

Draw the curve for pH vs net charge for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin has a carboxylic acid group with a pKa of approximately 6, and a second basic piperazinyl group at approximately 8.8. The net charge ranges from +1 to uncharged to -1. Will ciprofloxacin be mostly charged or neutral while dissolving in the small intestine, which has a pH of 7.5 to 8.0?

Answer 3