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Describe The Relationship Between Acid And Carbonic Acid

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The acid-balance must be regulated with a range of 7.35 and 7.45 in order for the body to function normally. A pH of below 7.35 is considered acidic and a pH of above 7.45 is considered alkaline or basic. Body acids exist in two forms; volatile and nonvolatile acids. Volatile acids can be eliminated as CO2, usually known as carbonic acid, which is a weak acid. Nonvolatile acids can be eliminated by the kidneys, example are sulfuric and phosphoric. These acids are strong compared to volatile acids.
When there are changes in pH (can be an increase in hydrogen ion or decrease) there are different buffer systems that can help to regulate the pH, such as; the carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer, protein buffer and renal buffer. Buffers absorb the excess hydrogen ion or hydroxyl ion and prevent a …show more content…

The carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer is a major extracellular buffer, that operates in both the lungs and kidneys. The lungs acts as a second defense responding quickly by decreasing the amount of carbonic acid by blowing off carbon dioxide and leaving water. The kidneys acts as a third defense talking a little longer to respond (hours to days versus seconds to minutes with the lungs). The kidneys reabsorb bicarbonate or regenerate bicarbonate from carbon dioxide and water. These two systems work very effectively together because the lungs can adjust acid concentration rapidly by ventilation and bicarbonate is easily absorbed or regenerated by kidneys tubules, although more slowly. The way the renal and respiratory systems adjust to primary changes in pH are known as compensation. The respiratory system compensates for changes in pH by increasing or decreasing the concentration of carbon dioxide by changing ventilation. The renal system compensates by producing more acidic or more alkaline urine. The protein buffer system is both extracellular and intracellular,

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