DOW UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH

SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTE OF
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
ASSIGNMENT NO 1

NAME: AYESHA QADRI

DISCIPLANE: PERFUSION SCIENCES
ROLL NO:18/13/063
SUBJECT: PERFUSION PHARMACLOGY
 BUFFERS
A buffer is a solution that can resist pH change upon the addition of an acidic or basic
component. It is able to neutralize small amounts of added acid or base, thus maintaining
the pH of the solution relatively stable.
Buffering is important in living systems as a means of maintaining a fairly constant internal
environment, also known as homeostasis.

TYPES OF BUFFER SOLUTION:

There are two types of buffer solution
1. Acidic Buffer
2. Basic Buffer

Acidic Buffer:
A weak acid together with a salt of the same acid with a strong base. These are called Acidic
Buffer.

For Example:
CH3COOH CH3COONa.

Basic Buffers:
A weak base and its salt with a strong acid. These are called Basic Buffers.

For Example.
NH4OH+NH4CL
The Buffer solution has a higher pH than the acid itself
The pH of Buffer changes only slightly upon addition of an acid or base

BUFFER SYSTEM IN HUMAN BODY:

The buffer systems in the human body are extremely efficient, and different systems work at
different rates. It takes only seconds for the chemical buffers in the blood to make
adjustments to pH. The respiratory tract can adjust the blood pH upward in minutes by
exhaling CO2 from the body. The renal system can also adjust blood pH through the
excretion of hydrogen ions (H+) and the conservation of bicarbonate, but this process takes
hours to days to have an effect.
The buffer systems functioning in blood plasma include plasma proteins, phosphate, and
bicarbonate and carbonic acid buffers. The kidneys help control acid-base balance by
excreting hydrogen ions and generating bicarbonate that helps maintain blood plasma pH
within a normal range. Protein buffer systems work predominantly inside cells.

HEMOGLOBIN AS A BUFFER:
Hemoglobin is the principal protein inside of red blood cells and accounts for one-third of
the mass of the cell. During the conversion of CO 2 into bicarbonate, hydrogen ions liberated
in the reaction are buffered by haemoglobin, which is reduced by the dissociation of oxygen.
This buffering helps maintain normal pH. The process is reversed in the pulmonary
capillaries to re-form CO2, which then
can diffuse into the air sacs to be exhaled into the atmosphere. This process is discussed in
detail in the chapter on the respiratory system.

PROTEIN BUFFER IN BLOOD PLASMA AND CELL:

Nearly all proteins can function as buffers. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which
contain positively charged amino groups and negatively charged carboxyl groups. The
charged regions of these molecules can bind hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, and thus function
as buffers. Buffering by proteins accounts for two-thirds of the buffering power of the blood
and most of the buffering within cells.

RESPIRATORY REGULATION:
One mechanism the body uses to control blood pH involves the release of carbon dioxide
from the lungs. Carbon dioxide, which is mildly acidic, is a waste product of the processing
(metabolism) of oxygen and nutrients (which all cells need) and, as such, is constantly
produced by cells. It then passes from the cells into the blood. The blood carries carbon
dioxide to the lungs, where it is exhaled. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the pH
of the blood decreases (acidity increases).

The brain regulates the amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by controlling the speed
and depth of breathing (ventilation). The amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, and
consequently the pH of the blood, increases as breathing becomes faster and deeper. By
adjusting the speed and depth of breathing, the brain and lungs are able to regulate the
blood pH minute by minute.

ROLE OF KIDNEY:
The kidneys are able to affect blood pH by excreting excess acids or bases. The kidneys have
some ability to alter the amount of acid or base that is excreted, but because the kidneys
make these adjustments more slowly than the lungs do, this compensation generally takes
several days.
TYPES OF ACID –BASE DISORDERS:
There are two abnormalities of acid-base balance:

 ACIDOSIS: The blood has too much acid (or too little base), resulting in a decrease in
blood pH.
 ALKALOSIS: The blood has too much base (or too little acid), resulting in an increase
in blood pH.

Acidosis and alkalosis are not diseases but rather are the result of a wide variety of
disorders. The presence of acidosis or alkalosis provides an important clue to doctors that a
serious problem exists.

Types of acidosis and alkalosis:

Acidosis and alkalosis are categorized depending on their primary cause as

 Metabolic
 Respiratory

Metabolic acidosis and metabolic alkalosis are caused by an imbalance in the production of
acids or bases and their excretion by the kidneys.

Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis are caused by changes in carbon dioxide
exhalation due to lung or breathing disorders.

People can have more than one acid-base disorder.

Compensation for acid-base disorders
Each acid-base disturbance provokes automatic compensatory mechanisms that push the
blood pH back toward normal. In general, the respiratory system compensates for metabolic
disturbances while metabolic mechanisms compensate for respiratory disturbances.

At first, the compensatory mechanisms may restore the pH close to normal. Thus, if the
blood pH has changed significantly, it means that the body's ability to compensate is failing.
In such cases, doctors urgently search for and treat the underlying cause of the acid-base
disturbance.