3 buffers in the human body and what are their conjugate acid-base pairs?
I have Bicarbonate Buffer, Phosphate/Ammonia Buffer, and Protein Buffers, where my confusion lies in what would be there conjugate acid base pairs.......
CO3^2-/HCO3^- IS the conjugate pair.
H3PO4/H2PO4^- IS the conjugate pair.
Thank you i think i was over complicating the question
The three buffers in the human body you mentioned, Bicarbonate Buffer, Phosphate/Ammonia Buffer, and Protein Buffers, all play important roles in maintaining the pH balance within our body.
Let's go through each buffer and its corresponding conjugate acid-base pairs:
1. Bicarbonate Buffer: The bicarbonate buffer system is an important buffer in the blood and extracellular fluid. It consists of carbonic acid (H2CO3) as the weak acid and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) as the conjugate base. The equation for this buffer system is:
H2CO3 ⇌ H+ + HCO3-
In this equation, carbonic acid (H2CO3) donates a hydrogen ion (H+) to act as an acid, while bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) accept the hydrogen ion to act as a base.
2. Phosphate/Ammonia Buffer: This buffer system is significant in regulating the pH within the intracellular fluid and in the urine. It involves two components: monohydrogen phosphate ion (HPO4^2-) and dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4^-). The equation for this buffer system is:
HPO4^2- ⇌ H+ + PO4^3-
In this equation, monohydrogen phosphate ion (HPO4^2-) acts as a base by accepting a hydrogen ion (H+) to form the dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4^-) acting as an acid. Ammonia (NH3) can also be involved in this buffer system where it reacts with hydrogen ions (H+) to form ammonium ions (NH4+).
3. Protein Buffers: Proteins, such as hemoglobin and albumin, also act as buffers in the body. The amino acid residues within these proteins can either donate or accept hydrogen ions (H+), depending on the pH of the environment. The specific acid-base pairs in protein buffers can vary depending on the protein and the surrounding environment.
In summary, the conjugate acid-base pairs in the three buffers you mentioned are as follows:
- Bicarbonate Buffer: Carbonic acid (H2CO3) as the acid, and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) as the base.
- Phosphate/Ammonia Buffer: Monohydrogen phosphate ion (HPO4^2-) as the base, and dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4^-) as the acid. Ammonia (NH3) can also act as a base, forming ammonium ions (NH4+) as the acid.
- Protein Buffers: The specific acid-base pairs in protein buffers can vary, depending on the protein and the surrounding environment.
It's important to note that these buffer systems work together to maintain a stable pH in different compartments of the body.