How Buffers Help to Regulate Body pH
Good evening class and professor!
I chose to discuss topic 2 this week. The topic is Discuss how buffers help to regulate body pH.
The pH level in the blood is maintained by the kidneys and the lungs. The pH level on the blood should be at 7.4. In order for the kidneys and lungs to maintain this pH level it affects the buffers in the blood. The buffer is a substance that is resistant to the change in the body’s pH level. Basically the buffers can make an acid or base less potent and try and neutralize it so the body is not overly acidic or basic. When these buffers attach to the acidic molecule they act to reduce how strong that molecule is. When the buffers attach to the base molecules it does the same thing to try and lower the strength of the base. All in all the buffers work to keep both acids and bases at a neutral level.
One other thing that should be noted, when your body is put into motion (exercise) it speeds up your metabolism. When your metabolism is sped up it increases the production of CO2 and Hydrogen in the muscles. When your body is producing these two it causes the lactic acid to be released into your blood. When this acid is put into your blood stream it can drastically change the pH level in your body. As stated above, your pH level should be 7.4; if your pH level is dropped below 6.8 it can be extremely dangerous to your health.
All in all, the pH buffers in your body work to reduce the lactic acid in your blood. This process allows your body’s pH level to stay at a healthy safe level.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
First paragraph information retrieved from: http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html
All other information retrieved from:
I chose to discuss topic 2 this week. The topic is Discuss how buffers help to regulate body pH.
The pH level in the blood is maintained by the kidneys and the lungs. The pH level on the blood should be at 7.4. In order for the kidneys and lungs to maintain this pH level it affects the buffers in the blood. The buffer is a substance that is resistant to the change in the body’s pH level. Basically the buffers can make an acid or base less potent and try and neutralize it so the body is not overly acidic or basic. When these buffers attach to the acidic molecule they act to reduce how strong that molecule is. When the buffers attach to the base molecules it does the same thing to try and lower the strength of the base. All in all the buffers work to keep both acids and bases at a neutral level.
One other thing that should be noted, when your body is put into motion (exercise) it speeds up your metabolism. When your metabolism is sped up it increases the production of CO2 and Hydrogen in the muscles. When your body is producing these two it causes the lactic acid to be released into your blood. When this acid is put into your blood stream it can drastically change the pH level in your body. As stated above, your pH level should be 7.4; if your pH level is dropped below 6.8 it can be extremely dangerous to your health.
All in all, the pH buffers in your body work to reduce the lactic acid in your blood. This process allows your body’s pH level to stay at a healthy safe level.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
First paragraph information retrieved from: http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html
All other information retrieved from: