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pH, Acids, Bases, and Buffers in Anatomy & Physiology

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Termini in questo insieme (20)

  • What is specific heat and why is water's specific heat important?

    Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of a substance by 1°C. Water's high specific heat (4.186 J/g°C) helps stabilize temperatures in living organisms and environments.

  • How do hydrogen bonds affect water's specific heat?

    Hydrogen bonds absorb heat when they break and release heat when they form, giving water a high specific heat that resists temperature changes.

  • What is evaporative cooling and its biological significance?

    Evaporative cooling occurs when liquid water evaporates, cooling the surface left behind. It helps stabilize temperatures in organisms and bodies of water.

  • Why does ice float on liquid water?

    Ice floats because hydrogen bonds form a stable, ordered crystal structure that makes ice less dense than liquid water, which is densest at 4°C.

  • What would happen if ice sank in water bodies?

    If ice sank, bodies of water would freeze solid from the bottom up, making life impossible in aquatic environments.

  • Define solvent, solute, and solution in the context of water.

    A solvent dissolves substances, a solute is dissolved, and a solution is a homogeneous mixture. Water is a versatile solvent due to its polarity.

  • What is a hydration shell?

    A hydration shell is a sphere of water molecules surrounding each ion when an ionic compound dissolves in water.

  • What are electrolytes and their importance in the body?

    Electrolytes are ions that conduct electrical currents in solution, essential for body functions like nerve impulses and muscle contraction.

  • Differentiate hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances.

    Hydrophilic substances have an affinity for water and dissolve easily, while hydrophobic substances repel water and do not dissolve well.

  • What defines an acid and a base in aqueous solutions?

    Acids are proton donors that release H+ ions; bases are proton acceptors that pick up H+ ions or release OH- ions.

  • Give examples of important acids and bases in the body.

    Important acids: hydrochloric acid (HCl), acetic acid, carbonic acid. Important bases: bicarbonate ion, ammonia.

  • What happens when a strong acid like HCl dissolves in water?

    It dissociates completely into H+ and Cl- ions, increasing the hydrogen ion concentration.

  • How does sodium hydroxide (NaOH) act as a strong base?

    NaOH dissociates completely to release OH- ions, which combine with H+ ions to form water, reducing acidity.

  • What is the pH scale and what does it measure?

    The pH scale measures hydrogen ion concentration; lower pH is acidic, higher pH is basic, and 7 is neutral.

  • What pH range do most biological fluids fall within?

    Most biological fluids have a pH between 6 and 8, maintaining homeostasis.

  • What is a neutralization reaction?

    A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid and a base mix to form water and a salt, balancing pH.

  • What role do buffers play in pH homeostasis?

    Buffers resist large pH changes by releasing H+ ions if pH rises or binding H+ ions if pH falls, maintaining stable conditions.

  • Describe the bicarbonate buffer system.

    The bicarbonate buffer system converts strong acids or bases into weaker ones, helping maintain blood pH balance.

  • Why is maintaining pH important for enzyme function?

    Enzymes work optimally within a narrow pH range; deviations can impair function and affect survival.

  • What are the clinical implications of abnormal arterial pH?

    An arterial pH below 6.85 or around 7.0 during resuscitation predicts poor patient outcomes due to enzyme dysfunction.