Acid Base Balance

ACID - BASE
BALANCE
Regulation of Acid-
Base Balance by
Acid-Base Buffer
system
Definition
• Buffer system is one which acts immediately to prevent the changes in
pH.
• It is actually salt (unprotonated compound) i.e. combination of weak
acid (protonated compound) and weak base.
• It converts strong acid and strong base into weak acid and weak base by
temporarily binding with excess H+.
Types of Buffer System
The body fluids have three types of buffer systems, which act under
different conditions :
1) Bicarbonate buffer system.
2) Phosphate buffer system.
3) Protein buffer system.
1. Bicarbonate
Buffer System
• This buffer system is present in ECF (plasma).
• It consists of protonated substance i.e. Carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is a
weak acid and unprotonated substance i.e. Bicarbonate ion (HCO3-),
which is a weak base.
• HCO3- is in the form of salt, i.e. sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
1) Bicarbonate buffer system prevent the fall of pH in a fluid to which

strong acid (e.g. HCl) is added.
HCl + NaHCO3 NaCl + H2CO3

(H+ and Cl-) (Na+ and HCO3-)
CO2 + H2O
Bicarbonate buffer system also prevents increase in pH in fluid to which a
strong base (e.g. NaOH) is added.
2NaOH + H2CO3 Na2CO3 + 2H2O

(Na+ and OH-) (H+ and HCO3-)
Importance of Bicarbonate Buffer System
• This buffer system plays important role in maintaining pH of body

fluids than other buffer systems.
• It is because the concentration of its two components (HCO3- and
CO2) is regulated by two different mechanisms.
• Concentration of HCO3- is regulated by kidney.
• Concentration of CO2 is regulated by the respiratory system.
• Two regulatory mechanisms operate constantly and
simultaneously, making this system more effective.
2. Phosphate
Buffer System
• This buffer system is useful in ICF (in red blood cells or other cells) as
the concentration of phosphate is more in ICF than ECF.
• It consists of a weak acid, dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4 – protonated

substance) in the form of sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4) and
the base hydrogen phosphate (HPO4 – unprotonated substance) in the
form of disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HPO4).
1) When strong acid like Hydrochloric acid is mixed with a fluid

containing phosphate buffer, sodium hydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4 –
weak acid) is formed.
This permits only mild change in pH of fluid.
• HCl + Na2HPO4 NaH2PO4 + NaCl
(strong acid) (weak acid)
• If a strong base such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is added to the fluid
containing phosphate buffer, a weak base called disodium hydrogen
phosphate (Na2HPO4) is formed. This prevents changes in pH.
• NaOH + Na2HPO4 NaHPO4 + H2O

Importance of Phosphate Buffer System
• This buffer system is more powerful than bicarbonate buffer

system (pK = 6.8) , which is closer to pH of body fluids i.e. 7.4.
• In addition to ICF, phosphate buffer is useful in tubular fluids of
kidneys also, it is because more phosphate ions are found in
tubular fluids.
• In red blood cells, potassium ion concentration is higher than the
sodium ion concentration. So, the elements of phosphate buffer
inside red blood cells are in the form of
i) Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4)
ii) Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4)
3. Protein
Buffer System
• Protein buffer Systems are present in the blood ; both in the plasma
and erythrocytes.
 Protein Buffer System in Plasma

The elements of proteins ,which form the weak acids in the plasma are:
i. C- terminal carboxyl group, N- terminal amino group and side chain

carboxyl group of glutamic acid
ii. Side chain amino group of lysine.
iii. Imidazole group of histidine .
• The protein buffer system in plasma are more powerful because of their
high concentration in plasma and because of their pK being very close to
7.4
 Protein buffer in Erythrocytes (Hemoglobin)

• Haemoglobin is the most effective protein buffer and the major buffer in
blood. Due to its high concentration than the plasma protein,
haemoglobin has about six times more buffering capacity then the
plasma protein.
• The deoxygenated hemoglobin is more powerful buffer than
oxygenated hemoglobin because of the higher pK . When the
hemoglobin molecule becomes deoxygenated in the capillaries it
easily binds with hydrogen ion which are released when carbon
dioxide enters the capillaries. Thus haemoglobin prevents fall in
pH when more and more carbon dioxide enters the capillaries.
Kidney Excretion of H+
• Metabolic reactions produce nonvolatile acids such as sulfuric acid

• The only way to eliminate this huge acid load is to excrete H+ in the
urine. Given the magnitude of these contributions to acid–base
balance, it’s not surprising that renal failure can quickly cause
death.
• The cells of Proximal convoluted tubules (PCT) and the collecting
ducts of the kidneys secrete hydrogen ions into the tubular fluid.
• In the PCT, Na+/H+ antiporters secrete H+ as they reabsorb Na+.
• The apical membranes of some intercalated cells include proton
pumps (H+ ATPases) that secrete H+ into the tubular fluid.
• Intercalated cells can secrete H+ against a concentration gradient so
effectively that urine can be up to 1000 times (3 pH units) more acidic
than blood.
• HCO3- produced by dissociation of H2CO3 inside peritubular capillaries.
• The HCO3- that enters the blood in this way is new (not filtered).
• A second type of intercalated cell has proton pumps in its basolateral
membrane and Cl- /HCO3- antiporters in its apical membrane.
• These intercalated cells secrete HCO3- and reabsorbs H+.
• The two types of intercalated cells help maintain the pH of body fluids in two
ways
1. By excreting excess H+ when pH of body fluids is too low.
2. By excreting excess HCO3- when pH is too high.
• The most plentiful buffer in the tubular fluid of the collecting duct is HPO42-
(monohydrogen phosphate ion). In addition, a small amount of NH3 (ammonia)
also is present .
• H+ + HPO42- H2PO4-
(dihydrogen phosphate ion)
• It combines with NH3 to form NH4+ ammonium ion) .Because

ions cannot diffuse back into tubule cells, they are excreted in the
urine.

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ACID - BASE

1) Bicarbonate buffer system prevent the fall of pH in a fluid to which

HCl + NaHCO3 NaCl + H2CO3

2NaOH + H2CO3 Na2CO3 + 2H2O

• This buffer system plays important role in maintaining pH of body

• It consists of a weak acid, dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4 – protonated

1) When strong acid like Hydrochloric acid is mixed with a fluid

• NaOH + Na2HPO4 NaHPO4 + H2O

• This buffer system is more powerful than bicarbonate buffer

 Protein Buffer System in Plasma

i. C- terminal carboxyl group, N- terminal amino group and side chain

 Protein buffer in Erythrocytes (Hemoglobin)

• Metabolic reactions produce nonvolatile acids such as sulfuric acid

• It combines with NH3 to form NH4+ ammonium ion) .Because

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