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Acid–base homeostasis is the homeostatic regulation of the pH of the body's extracellular fluid (ECF). [1] The proper balance between the acids and bases (i.e. the pH) in the ECF is crucial for the normal physiology of the body—and for cellular metabolism. [1]
Acidosis, defined by blood pH below 7.35, is the most common disorder of acid–base homeostasis and occurs when there is an excess of acid in the body. In contrast, alkalosis is characterized by excessively high blood pH. Blood pH is usually slightly basic, with a pH of 7.365, referred to as physiological pH in biology and medicine.
The bicarbonate buffer system regulates the ratio of carbonic acid to bicarbonate to be equal to 1:20, at which ratio the blood pH is 7.4 (as explained in the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation). A change in the plasma pH gives an acid–base imbalance. In acid–base homeostasis there are two mechanisms that can help regulate the pH.
Metabolic acidosis can lead to acidemia, which is defined as arterial blood pH that is lower than 7.35. [6] Acidemia and acidosis are not mutually exclusive – pH and hydrogen ion concentrations also depend on the coexistence of other acid-base disorders ; therefore, pH levels in people with metabolic acidosis can range from low to high.
Intracellular pH (pH i) is the measure of the acidity or basicity (i.e., pH) of intracellular fluid. The pH i plays a critical role in membrane transport and other intracellular processes. In an environment with the improper pH i , biological cells may have compromised function.
The use of acidosis for a low pH creates an ambiguity in its meaning. The difference is important where a patient has factors causing both acidosis and alkalosis, wherein the relative severity of both determines whether the result is a high, low, or normal pH. [citation needed] Alkalemia occurs at a pH over 7.45.
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Acid–base imbalance is an abnormality of the human body's normal balance of acids and bases that causes the plasma pH to deviate out of the normal range (7.35 to 7.45). In the fetus, the normal range differs based on which umbilical vessel is sampled (umbilical vein pH is normally 7.25 to 7.45; umbilical artery pH is normally 7.18 to 7.38). [1]