Lecture 6 : Acid-Base Balance Flashcards
___ is a problem for the body
Acidity
Our bodies are challenged by intake and production of ___
acids (more than bases)
How we get acid:
Diet - fatty acids and amino acids
Metabolism - CO2 (+H2O), lactic acid, ketoacids
How we get rid of acid:
Ventilation - CO2 (+H2O)
Renal - H+
pH is a measure of ____
free H+
Normal arterial blood pH is
~7.4 (range 7.35-7.45)
Alkalosis =
arterial blood pH > 7.45
Acidosis =
arterial blood pH < 7.35
If pH falls below 6.8:
CNS depression, coma, death
If pH rises above 7.8:
Overexcitation of nervous system, muscle tetany, convulsions, respiratory arrest
3 Systems Regulate Acid-Base Balance
Chemical buffers
Respiratory mechanisms
Renal mechanisms
Chemical buffers
1st line of defense – very fast, act in fraction of second
resist pH changes by binding H+ ions when pH drops and releasing them when pH rises
Respiratory mechanisms
Brainstem respiratory centers change respiratory rate and depth to compensate for pH changes in 1-3 min (control CO2 levels)
Renal mechanisms
Body’s most powerful acid-base regulatory system, but may require hours to days to correct blood pH (control H+/bicarbonate levels)
Respiratory and renal systems form -
“physiological buffering systems”
control pH by changing the amount of acid or base in the body
slower than chemical buffering systems, they are most powerful
Only____ contribute to the acidity of a solution
free H+
Strong acids/bases can produce ____ changes in pH
large -
because they dissociate completely
Ex: Strong base completely dissociates: Na+ and OH-
Weak acids/bases dissociate ___, so produce ___ change in pH; these help prevent pH changes by binding H+ or releasing H+
only partially
little
Acids are proton ____
Bases are proton ____
donors
acceptors
Chemical Buffers
a system of 1 or more compounds that resist pH change in the presence of a strong acid or base
Chemical buffer systems –
first line of defense to control pH of ICF and ECF
3 chemical buffer systems
Carbonic acid-Bicarbonate buffer system – extracellular fluid compartment (ECF)
Phosphate buffer system – intracellular fluid compartment (ICF) and urine
Protein buffers – both ICF and ECF
Chemical buffer systems have a ___ acid and a ___ base
weak
weak
The buffering system resists changes in pH by :
binding H+ ions when pH drops (the weak base does this)
releasing H+ ions when pH rises (the weak acid does this)
Bicarbonate Buffer System
mixture of H2CO3 (weak acid) and salts of HCO3- (weak base)
maintain ECP buffer; also operates in ICF
Phosphate Buffer System
salts of H2PO4- (weak acid) and HPO4 2- (weak base)
important buffer in urine and ICF
Protein Buffer System
some amino acid side chains act as weak acids (-COOH) or weak bases (-NH2)
most important buffer in ICF; also in blood plasma