Describe The Role Of Buffers In Maintaining Ph Homeostasis In The Body

In this experiment different pH levels ranging from 3 to 11 were used to test the effects on daphnia heart rate. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH ranging from 0 to 6 is acidic, a pH of 7 is neutral, and a pH higher than 7 ranging from 8 to 14 is basic. PH revolves around hydrogen ions (H+). The reason pH levels can be acidic, basic, or neutral is because acids give hydrogen ions away while bases accept hydrogen ions. (Decelles, 2002).

Why does the blood pH value change as PCO2 changes? Because the PCO2 is directly proportional to the H+ levels which are inversely proportional to the pH level of the blood.

Dalton’s law explains the partial pressure of a gas, which is the pressure exerted by a gas within a mixture of gases independent of each gas in the mixture (Marieb, 2004). The partial pressure of each gas is directly proportional to its percentage in the total mixture and in air is determined by atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure is 101 kPa (760 mmHg), 21% of this air is oxygen, and the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2 ) in atmospheric air is: 21 × 101 = 21.2 kPa 100 Within the alveoli the PO2 is different to air because of enrichment in the air passages (dead space) with CO2 and water vapour. Alveolar air contains much more CO2 and water vapour and much less O2 and so makes a greater contribution to the near-atmospheric pressure in the lungs, then they do in air. This is due to: • gas exchanges occurring in the lungs, • humidification of air by the conducting passages, • mixing of gases in the dead space (contains air not involved in gaseous exchange) between the nose and alveoli. In alveoli, PO2 averages only 13.2 kPa (100 mmHg). Continuous consumption of O2 and production of CO2 in the cells means that there is a partial pressure gradient both in the lungs and at the tissue level

According to American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), Acidosis is characterized by PH of 7.35 or lower [1]. Acidosis develops when the rate of H+ production exceeds the rate of H+ removal/buffering.

pH is a measurement of hydrogen ion concentration. It measures rather the solution is acid, base, or neutral.

pH regulation - each ion has a positive or negative charge that helps in keeping our PH normal

A buffer is a solution of a weak acid and its corresponding base. Buffers work by accepting hydrogen atoms from solutions when they are in excess and donating hydrogen atoms when drained. In the bioarbonate buffer system, the chemical equlibrium between carbonic and bicarbonate act as a pH moniter. For example, When the H+ concentration starts to rise meaning when the pH drops, the bicarbonate ion acts as a base and removes the unneeded hydrogen ions.

3. A buffer system is important because by pairing strong and weak bases it allows the organisms body to resist changes in pH levels.

The pH of a solution is the measure of the concentration of charged Hydrogen ions in that given solution. A solution with a pH lower than seven is considered to be acidic. A solution with a higher pH is a base. It is very important for organisms to maintain a stable pH. Biological molecules such as proteins function only at a certain pH level and any changes in pH can result in them not functioning properly. To maintain these constant pH levels, buffer solutions are used. A buffer solution can resist change to small additions of acids or base’s. A good buffer will have components that act like a base, and components that act like an acid.

The hydrogen ion (H+) concentration is extremely important to living organisms. Even small changes in H+ ¬¬ion concentration can cause serious consequences to the structural and functional integrity of molecules. Consequently, it is important to regulate the pH within strict limits so that important biochemical processes of living systems can proceed normally.

Production of H+ will cause plasma pH to fall below 7.4. Normally, increases in H+ concentrations are buffered mostly by haemoglobin, however buffers can only resist small changes in pH. The HCO3- levels increase slightly, but are likely to still remain within normal levels of 22 to 26 mEq/L. This is because equilibrium changes in concentrations is slight compared to the large compensatory changes (1). Renal mechanisms can assist in excreting H+ and reabsorbing HCO3-.

The definition of homeostasis is to maintain equilibrium of its inner body when dealing with outside changes. Homeostasis is like a firefighter stands by at the fire station waiting for emergency to happen and when it does he will be ready to take off and go into action to help save and restore the on fire buildings. A negative feedback loop is if something went wrong, beyond/below its normal range, human body will corrects it and changes the variable back to its original state. For instance, your sugar level rises when you eat. The brain sends messages to the pancreas to release insulin to transport blood sugar to the cells that need them. When blood sugar returns to normal ranges, the receptors send this information to the brain and the brain

Discuss how changes in acid-base status of a patient can arise and the mechanisms available in the body to rectify these. In the body, blood has many different roles. However, one of its main functions is to maintain the balance between acidity and alkalinity. Blood acidity increases when the level of acidic compounds in the body rise, or when the level of alkaline compounds in the body fall.

There are many different molecules which can act as buffers. To maintain a desired pH range of a pool, sodium bicarbonate can be added into the pool. Apart from sodium bicarbonate, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and calcium hypochlorite can also act as buffers for a pool. However instead of keeping a steady pH, these chemicals can gradually increase the pH levels. Acids salts (NaHSO_4) can be used to lower it.

If an acid-base disturbance shifts the pH outside of the physiologic range, various control measures are activated to resist the change in pH. Compensatory mechanisms try to preserve the normal 20:1 ratio of bicarbonate to carbonic acid to keep the pH at normal range. The body works to maintain normal ratios through a compensation mechanism using renal and respiratory methods (Crowley, 2010).