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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]
The tears are unique among body fluids in that they are exposed to the environment. Much like other body fluids, tear fluid is kept in a tight pH range using the bicarbonate buffer system. [15] The pH of tears shift throughout a waking day, rising "about 0.013 pH units/hour" until a prolonged closed-eye period causes the pH to fall again. [15]
Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. [1] A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology , biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology , enzymology , and metabolism .
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.
A buffer solution is a solution where the pH does not change significantly on dilution or if an acid or base is added at constant temperature. [1] Its pH changes very little when a small amount of strong acid or base is added to it. Buffer solutions are used as a means of keeping pH at a nearly constant value in a wide variety of chemical ...
In chemistry and biochemistry, the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation = + ([] []) relates the pH of a chemical solution of a weak acid to the numerical value of the acid dissociation constant, K a, of acid and the ratio of the concentrations, [] [] of the acid and its conjugate base in an equilibrium.
Carbonic acid equilibria are important for acid–base homeostasis in the human body. An amino acid is also amphoteric with the added complication that the neutral molecule is subject to an internal acid–base equilibrium in which the basic amino group attracts and binds the proton from the acidic carboxyl group, forming a zwitterion .
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.