Acid Base Equilibrium

 Homoeostasis or homœostasis (from Greek:

ὅμοιος, "hómoios", "similar",[1] and στάσις, stásis,
"standing still"[2]), is the property of a system in
which variables are regulated so that internal
conditions remain stable and relatively constant
 Examples of homeostasis include the regulation of
temperature and the balance between acidity and
alkalinity (pH).
 It is a process that maintains the stability of the
human body's internal environment in response to
changes in external conditions.
 Extracellular fluid (ECF) or extracellular fluid
volume (ECFV) usually denotes all body fluid outside of
cells. The remainder is called intracellular fluid
 Extracellular Fluid, in conjunction with intracellular
fluid, helps control the movement of water and
electrolytes throughout the body.
 In order to maintain osmotic balance, the extracellular
compartments of a mammal's body must be able to
excrete and absorb water to and from the environment.
 Inorganic ions must also be exchanged between ECF and
the external environment to maintain homeostasis
 Paramater of CES should be maintained in
homeostic state are :
 Nutrient
 O2 dan CO2
 Metabolite
 pH
 Water, salt and electrolyte
 Temperature
 Volume and pressure
 All cells contain an intracellular
fluid whose pH value is known as the intracellular
pH (pHi).
 The pHi plays a critical role in the function of the
cell, and close regulation is required for cells to
survive.
 Acid Base Physiology

 Definition:
pH is defined as potential of H+ Ion concentration in
body fluid.

The amount of H+ ion concentration is so low in the

body hence it is expressed as –ve logarithm to base
of the H+ ion concentration in mEq/lit.
pH = log 1/ [H+ ]
= - log [H+ ]
 The Acid-Base Balance

 Balance of H conc. in Extra Cellular Fluid

----To Achieve Homeostasis

 Balance Between :
The H Intake or Production

The H Removal
 NORMAL VALUE

 Arterial blood = 7.35 – 7.45

 The normal extracellular pH is 7.4 +/- .1
 Intracellular pH is around 6.8 due to acid production
 Acid – Base Imbalance

 Acidosis = Decrease in arterial PH ( <7.35 )

Due to excess H+
 Alkalosis = Elevation in Arterial PH ( >7.45)
Due to excess base .
 pH and H+ ion concentration

H+ ion in nmol/lit
pH
 1000
 6.0
 100
 7.0
 10
 8.0
 1.0
 9.0

Note : one point drop in pH results in a ten

fold decrease in H+ ion conc.
 Scale of pH measurement

 The pH scale is between 0 – 14.

Zero onwards below 7 is acidic.
After 7 upto 14 the solution is alkaline.
At 7 (neutral e.g. water) where the amount of H+ and
o
Hydroxyl ion are equal at 23
 Since pH is inversely related to H+ ion conc. so a
low pH corresponds to high H+ ion conc. (Acidic)
and a high pH corresponds to low H+ ion conc.
(Alkaline)

Acidic Neutral Alkaline

0 7 14
The Negative logarithmic relationship between [H+] and pH
A very tight control is needed for normal metabolic
functions.
eg. Enzymatic activity, blood clotting and
neuromuscular activity.

Hydrogen ions are the toxic end product of

metabolism and they adversely affect all
physical and biochemical cellular process in
our body.
 21.5: Acid-Base Balance
15

• Electrolytesthat ionize in water and release

hydrogen ions are acids
• Substances that combine with hydrogen ions
are bases
• Acid-base balance entails regulation of the
hydrogen ion concentrations of body fluids
• This is important because slight changes in
hydrogen ion concentrations can alter the
rates of enzyme-controlled metabolic
reactions, shift the distribution of other
ions, or modify hormone actions
 Acid

 Molecules containing H atoms that can release

(donate) H ions in solutions .
 Example , HCL .
 Strong acids :
- Completely dissociate : (HCL , H2SO4 )
 Weak acid :
- Partially dissociate : ( H2CO3)
 Base

 An Ion that accept a H ion .

 An example of a base is the Bicarbonate
( HCO3 ) .
 Strengths of Acids
18
and Bases
• Acids:
• Strong acids ionize more completely and
release more H+
• Weak acids ionize less completely and release
fewer H+
• Bases:
• Strong bases ionize more completely and release
more OH-
• Weak bases ionize less completely and release fewer
OH-
 Buffers

 Substances that Neutralize acids or bases.

 Chemical Reactions which Reduce the effect of
adding acid or base to a solution PH .
How the body defends against fluctuations in PH

 Three Systems in the body :

1) Buffers in blood .
2) Respiration through the lungs .
3) Excretion by the kidney .
 Blood Buffer

 These buffer systems serve as a first line of defense

against changes in the acid-base balance :
- HCO3(Regulated by Renal and Respiratory) .
- Protein
- Phosphate
- Hemoglobin
 Protein and hemoglobin

 Acidic and Basic Amino acid in plasma and cell

protein act as buffers .
 Hemoglobin is an important buffer , can’t be
regulated physiological .
 Phosphate & Intracellular Buffers

 Both Intra and Extra cellular phosphate act as a

buffer . But its role is minor compared to Hb or
HCO3.
 Intracellular buffers are needed because H doesn’t
cross Plasma Membrane .
 Intracellular PH is more acidic . (7.2)
 Sources of Hydrogen
24
Ions

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Aerobic Anaerobic Incomplete Oxidation of Hydrolysis of

respiration respiration oxidation of sulfur-containing phosphoproteins
of glucose of glucose fatty acids amino acids and nucleic acids

Carbonic Lactic Acidic ketone Sulfuric Phosphoric

acid acid bodies acid acid

H+
Internal environment
 Medical studies report that a pH that is imbalanced
can be correlated to almost all health conditions,
including heart disease, arthritis and cancer
 Acidic blood (having low pH levels) can create cause
toxic and acidic waste (acidosis). This is a mostly
unknown and dangerously destructive circumstance
because it can lead to chronic diseases such as heart
disease and cancer.
 Serious health problems such as low energy, unwanted
weight gain, poor athletic performance and accelerated
aging, inflammation and auto-immune disorders can be
potentially increased as well.
 Regulation of Hydrogen Ion
Concentration 26

• Either an acid shift or an alkaline (basic) shift in the

body fluids could threaten the internal environment
• Normal metabolic reactions generally produce more
acid than base
• These reactions include cellular metabolism of glucose,
fatty acids, and amino acids
• Maintenance of acid-base balance usually eliminates
acids in one of three ways:
• Acid-base buffer systems
• Respiratory excretion of carbon dioxide
• Renal excretion of hydrogen ions
 Acid-Base Buffer Systems
27

• Bicarbonate buffer system

• The bicarbonate ion converts a strong acid to a weak acid
• Carbonic acid converts a strong base to a weak base
H+ + HCO3-  H2CO3  H+ + HCO3-

• Phosphate buffer system

• The monohydrogen phosphate ion converts a strong acid to a
weak acid
• The dihydrogen phosphate ion converts a strong base to a weak
base
H+ + HPO4-2  H2PO4-  H+ + HPO4-2
• Protein buffer system
• NH3+ group releases a hydrogen ion in the presence of excess
base
• COO- group accepts a hydrogen ion in the presence of excess acid
28
Respiratory Secretion of Carbon Dioxide

• The respiratory center in the

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brainstem helps regulate hydrogen ion Cells increase production of CO2

concentrations in the body fluids by
controlling the rate and depth of
breathing CO2 reacts with H2O to produce H2CO3
• If body cells increase their production
of CO2…
H2CO3 releases H+

Respiratory center is stimulated

Rate and depth of breathing increase

More CO2 is eliminated through lungs

29
Renal Excretion of Hydrogen Ions
30

• Nephrons help regulate the hydrogen ion

concentration of body fluids by excreting hydrogen ions
in the urine
.

High intake of proteins

Increased metabolism Concentration of H+

Increased concentration
of amino acids in body fluids returns
of H+ in urine toward normal

Increased formation Increased secretion

of sulfuric acid and of H+ into fluid of
phosphoric acid renal tubules

Increased concentration
of H+ in body fluids
 Time Course of Hydrogen Ion Regulation
31

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• Various regulators of Bicarbonate

hydrogen ion concentration buffer system
operate at different rates
• Acid-base (chemical buffers) First line of defense
against pH shift
Chemical Phosphate
buffer system
function rapidly buffer system
• Respiratory and renal
(physiological buffers) Protein
mechanisms function more buffer system
slowly
Respiratory
mechanism
Second line of
defense against Physiological (CO2 excretion)
pH shift
buffers
Renal
mechanism
(H+ excretion)
 21.6: Acid-Base Imbalances 32

• Chemical and physiological buffer systems ordinarily maintain the

hydrogen ion concentration of body fluids within very narrow pH ranges
• Abnormal conditions may disturb the acid-base balance

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Acidosis Alkalosis

pH scale

6.8 7.0 7.35 7.45 7.8 8.0

Normal pH range

Survival range
 Acidosis &33 Alkalosis
• Acidosis results from the accumulation Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

of acids or loss of bases, both of which

cause abnormal increases in the Accumulation
of acids
Loss of
bases
hydrogen ion concentrations of body
fluids
• Alkalosis results from a loss of acids or Increased concentration of H+

an accumulation of bases accompanied

by a decrease in hydrogen ion Acidosis pH drops

concentrations pH scale
7.4

pH rises Alkalosis

Decreased concentration of H+

Loss of Accumulation
acids of bases
 Acidosis

• Two major types of acidosis are respiratory acidosis and metabolic

acidosis
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Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission

Kidney failure Excessive production of acidic
required for reproduction or display. to excrete acids ketones as in diabetes mellitus

Decreased rate
Obstruction of Decreased
and depth of
air passages gas exchange Accumulation of nonrespiratory acids
breathing

Metabolic acidosis
Accumulation of CO2

Excessive loss of bases

Respiratory
acidosis

Prolonged diarrhea Prolonged vomiting

with loss of alkaline with loss of intestinal
intestinal secretions secretions
34
 Alkalosis
• Respiratory alkalosis develops as a result of hyperventilation
• Metabolic alkalosis results from a great loss of hydrogen ions or from a
gain in bases, both accompanied by a rise in the pH of blood

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• Anxiety
Gastric Vomiting with loss
• Fever
drainage of gastric secretions
• Poisoning
• High altitude

Hyperventilation
Loss of acids

Excessive loss of CO2

Decrease in concentration of H2CO3 Net increase in alkaline substances

Decrease in concentration of H+

Metabolic alkalosis
Respiratory alkalosis
35
REASONS FOR METABOLIC ACIDOSIS AND ALKALOSIS
CAUSES OF RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS AND ALKALOSIS
 The body response to acid-base IMBALANCE
is called
Compensation

If the body is bruoght to If the Range is still outside

the normal limits then, the normal then ,
It is Complete It is Partial
 Compensation

-If underlying problem is metabolic :

Hyperventilation and Hypoventilation mechanisms
will help through Respiratory Compensation .

-If the problem is Respiratory , Renal

mechanisms , then Renal mechanisms will help
through
Metabolic Compensation .
COMPENSATION IN PRIMARY METABOLIC DISORDERS
RENAL COMPENSATION IN PRIMARY RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS
 Acidosis
-Principal effect of acidosis is Depression of
the CNS through the decrease in synaptic
transmission .
- Generalized Weakness .
- Dearranged CNS is the greatest thread .
- severe acidosis causes :
1- Disorientation
2- Coma
3- Death
 Alkalosis
-Causes over excitability of the central and peripheral
nervous systems .
-Numbness
- Light headedness

It can cause :
- nervousness .
- muscle spasms or tetany .
- convulsions
- loss of consciousness
- death .