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What does dissociate refer to?
Something that splits into ions and forms a homogeneous solution with water.
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What is an acid?
- A substance that increases the concentration of H^+ (hydrogen ions) in water.
- Dissociates into H^+ ions and other anions.
- Because H^+ is a one proton with a positive charge, acids are also referred to as proton donors.
- Strong acids COMPLETELY dissociate in water.
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What is a base?
- A substance that increases the concentration of OH^- (hydroxide ions) in water.
- Dissociates into OH^- ions and other cations.
- Because bases remove H^+ from a solution, they are referred to as proton accepters.
- Strong bases COMPLETELY dissociate in water.
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What is a salt?
- Salts dissociate into ions in water, neither of which are h^+ (hydrogen ion) or OH^- (hydroxide ion).
- Salts are important for carrying electrical currents (ions flowing from one place to another), especially in nerve and muscular tissues.
- Acids and bases, when combined, form different salts, with H2O (water) as a byproduct. (EX: HCI + KOH -> KCI (salt) + H2O (water))
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Why is the pH of ICF and ECF important and balanced?
- Chemical reactions are highly dependent on the fluids pH in which they occurs in.
- If the acidity or alkalinity (H^+ and OH^- concentrations) of a fluid is not in a narrow range needed by the reactants, body functions are disrupted.
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What is pH?
- A scale in which a solutions acidity or alkalinity is expressed.
- Normally range from 0 - 14 (can be lower or higher)
- 1-6 is more acidic
- 8-14 is more basic
- 7 is neutral and consists of H2O (Pure water)
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What is the pH scale based on?
- Moles per liter of H^+ (hydrogen ions)
- a pH of 7 means there are 1*10^-7 (one ten millionth) moles of hydrogen ions per liter in a solution.
- a pH of 8 means there are 1*10^-8 moles of hydrogen ions per liter (a decrease of ten fold)
- For every number on the pH scale you are increasing or decreasing the amount of h^+ by ten fold
- The same is true for OH^- (hydroxide ions) except the "line plot" runs in the opposite direction originating at a pH of 7. So while a ph of 8 has 1*10^-8 of a mole of H^+, it was 1*10^-6 of a mole of OH^-
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What is an acidic solution?
- A solution that consists of more H^+ (hydrogen ions) than OH^- (hydroxide ions)
- A solution with a pH below 7
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What is an alkaline solution?
- A solution that consists of more OH^- (hydroxide ions) than H^+ (hydrogen ions)
- A solution with a pH above 7
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At what pH do homeostatic mechanisms maintain the blood at? (pH of healthy blood)
A pH between 7.35 and 7.45 (slightly more basic than pure water)
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What is acidosis?
- Condition in which blood pH drops below 7.35 (normal blood pH 7.35-7.45)
- Can seriously compromise homeostasis by preventing chemical reactions from happening
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What is alkalosis?
- Condition in which blood pH rises above 7.45 (normal blood pH 7.35-7.45
- Can seriously compromise homeostasis by preventing chemical reactions from happening
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What does a buffer system do?
- Converts a strong acid or base into a weak acid or base to maintain homeostasis.
- The chemical compounds that do this are known as BUFFERS, they accomplish this by adding or removing protons (H^+)
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Give an example of a buffer system and explain the process.
- The carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer system.
- Carbonic acid (H2CO3) can act as a weak acid, and the bicarbonate ion (HCO3^-) can act as a weak base.
- Can either bond with H^+ (as bicarbonate ion; weak base) or break bonds with H^+ (as carbonic acid; weak acid) to maintain a required pH.
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