Acids, Bases, Buffers, and Respiration

Anatomy and Physiology I

Cassandra Rohm and Rachel Healsey

June 5th, 2019

Introduction:

Homeostasis by definition is the ability of an organism to maintain a consistent internal

environment regardless of external and internal stimuli (McKinley, 2019). It is an essential

function that allows life to be able to change and adapt to an ever-changing world. One of the

most critical areas where homeostasis must be maintained is within the cells of the human body.

The body has a perfectly tuned system in place to help ensure that this is accomplished. The

system includes the components known as receptors, control centers, and effectors.

When a receptor senses a change in the environment a signal is sent to the control center.

The control center assesses the situation and sends out a message to the appropriate effector to

resolve the change and bring the system back to homeostasis (McKinley, 2019). If the system

fails, catastrophic events can result from the balance not being restored. For example, if a

person’s body is unable to detect that it is too hot after being outside all day, this can lead to the

individual failing to perspire and thus ultimately lead to a condition known as heat stroke. This

system is especially important in maintaining the pH of the blood in the human body that is vital

for survival.

The pH level for human blood sits between 7.35 and 7.45, therefore making humans

slightly basic (WCCC Bio Department). The pH scale is a system that is used to measure the

amount of hydrogen ions (H+) in a substance. The scale ranges from zero to fourteen with seven

being considered neutral. The lower the number, the more H+ are present and the less hydroxide

ions OH-. On the other side, the higher the number, the lesser H+ are present and the more OH-

there are (McKinley,2019).

 A substance is considered an acid when the pH level is below seven and a base when the

pH level is above seven. When an acid is added to water, it dissociates, or breaks apart, which

leads to more H+ ions being produce (McKinley, 2019). In contrast, a base will dissociate in

water as well, but instead OH- ions released. Acids are also referred to as “proton donors” due to

the excess of H+ ions, whereas bases are known as “proton acceptors” because of the excess of

OH- ions. When a base is added to an acid, the H+ ions will bond with the OH- ions, thus

creating water, H2O. When the body is unable to maintain the intended pH, a patient can be in

either a state of acidosis or alkalosis (WCCC Bio Department, 2019).

When a patient falls into a state of acidosis it means that the homeostatic system has

failed and the body has become acidic, meaning the pH has fallen below 7.35. This can be

caused by numerous medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes mellitus, or alcoholism (Shiel,

2018). Conversely, when a patient is in a state of alkalosis, the body has become too basic and

the pH is above 7.45. Alkalosis can occur when a person hyperventilates, has prolonged

vomiting, or has an overconsumption of antacids (McKinley, 2019). Thankfully, the body has

specialized buffer system in place to help prevent either of these conditions from occurring.

A buffer system uses specific molecules of chemical buffers, to “soak up” excess H+ or

release H+ to maintain the pH of a solution. A chemical buffer is a mixture of two or more

chemical compounds that are used to maintain a certain pH (WCCC Bio Department, 2019).

The body uses a buffer system of two molecules, bicarbonate (HCO3) and carbonic acid (H2CO3)

to regulate the pH level of the blood. HCO3 is used to accept the extra H+ in an acid, whereas

H2CO3 is used to donate H+ in a base. Because the body has so many processes happening at

once, the pH level is constantly moving back and forth within that range. The two substances

previously mentioned are primarily used in relation to CO2 fluctuations.

 As the body breaks down glucose (C6H12O6) with the addition of oxygen (O2), water,

carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy in the form of ATP are released (McKinley, 2019). The carbon

dioxide gets released through ventilation, but as previously described, this process can be

interrupted. In situations with hypoventilation, or slow breathing, the levels of carbonic acid will

rise due to the increase in the amount of carbon dioxide present which will react with water in

the presence of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. This results in the body becoming more acidic

due to carbonic acid dissociating to bicarbonate and H+ which leads to a greater presence of H+.

On the other hand, when an individual hyperventilates, or breathes fast, the amount of carbon

dioxide decreases which leads to the carbonic acid level to decrease, thus making the blood more

basic. To correct this, the bicarbonate will bond with the excess H+ to lower the pH. This

system is always moving back and forth and always working to maintain homeostasis within the

blood.

This experiment is designed to explore the effect of acids and bases on the pH of a

solution. In part A, the anticipated outcome is that the beaker with the water and hydrochloric

acid will show a decrease in pH and the beaker with the water and sodium hydroxide will show

an increase in pH. It is also predicted that in the buffer solutions, the beakers with the Buffer pH

7.00 will remain at 7.0 after the hydrochloric acid is added to one and the sodium hydroxide is

added to the other. The same is expected for the Buffer pH 4.00, the beaker with the

hydrochloric acid added will stay at 4.0, as will the beaker with the sodium hydroxide added. In

part B, it is anticipated that the increase in carbon dioxide production resulting from

hyperventilating, will resulted in a more rapid color change.

Materials:

Part A:

 Two (2) small beakers

 Deionized water

 0.1 M Hydrochloric acid (HCl)

 0.1 M Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

 Buffer pH 7.00 solution

 Buffer pH 4.00 solution

 pH meter

 Stirrer

 Gloves

 Goggles

Part B:

 One (1) larger beaker (min 200 mL)

 Two (2) smaller beakers (min 100 mL)

 0.1 M Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

 Phenolphthalein indicator

 Stirrer

 Straw

 Stop watch
  Gloves

 Goggles

Method:

Part A:

1. Two (2) small beakers of deionized water were obtained and labeled “1” and “2.”

2. pH values were determined using a pH meter.

3. One (1) drop of 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added to Beaker 1 and stirred. The

pH was determined and recorded.

4. One (1) drop of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added to Beaker 2 and stirred.

The pH was determined and recorded.

5. Two (2) additional drops of 0.1 M HCl were added to Beaker 1 and stirred. The pH was

determined and recorded.

6. Two (2) additional drops of 0.1 M NaOH were added to Beaker 2 and stirred. The pH

was determined and recorded.

7. Three (3) additional drops of 0.1 M HCl were added to Beaker 1 and stirred. The pH was

determined and recorded.

8. Three (3) additional drops of 0.1 M NaOH were added to Beaker 2 and stirred. The pH

was determined and recorded.

9. Steps seven (7) through eight (8) were continued until a total of fifteen (15) drops had

been added to each beaker.

10. The contents of the beakers were properly discarded and the beakers were cleaned.
 11. Two (2) beakers of Buffer pH 7.00 were obtained and the respective pH values were

determined using a pH meter. The beakers were labeled “3” and “4.”

12. One (1) drop of 0.1 M HCl was added to Beaker 3 and stirred. The pH was determined

and recorded.

13. One (1) drop of 0.1 M NaOH was added to Beaker 4 and stirred. The pH was determined

and recorded.

14. Steps five (5) through nine (9) were repeated.

15. The contents of the beakers were properly discarded and the beakers were cleaned.

Part B:

1. A large beaker was filled with deionized water. 5.0 ml of 0.1 M NaOH and a few drops

of phenolphthalein indicator were added and stirred. The solution was divided equally

between two (2) smaller beakers.

2. One person exhaled through a straw into one of the beakers. The color change was noted

and the time elapsed was recorded. The contents of the beaker were discarded and the

beaker was cleaned.

3. The same person increased their heart rate and respirations by exercising for a few

minutes. The person exhaled through a straw into the other beaker. The color change

was noted and the time elapsed was recorded. The contents of the beaker were discarded

and the beaker was cleaned.

Results:

Table 1: Effect of Addition of HCl and NaOH to Water and Buffer Solutions on pH as Measured

by a pH Meter

Solution/ 0 1 3 6 9 12 15
Number of
Drops Added
H2O and HCl 5.8 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3
H2O and NaOH 4.4 9.1 9.8 10.3 10.6 10.6 11
7.00 Buffer and 7.8 7.9 7.9 8 8 8 8
HCl
7.00 Buffer and 8 8 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1
NaOH
4.0 Buffer and 5 5 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.8
HCl
4.0 Buffer and 4.9 4.9 4.9 5 5 5 5
NaOH

Graph 1: Effect of Addition of HCl and NaOH to Water and Buffer Solutions on pH as Measured

by a pH Meter
Table 2: The Effect of Exercise on CO2 Production
Activity Level Time (seconds)
Rest 73
Post-exertion 57

Graph 2: The Effect of Exercise on CO2 Production

Conclusion:

It was expected that the beaker with the water and hydrochloric acid would show a

decrease in pH as hydrochloric acid was added. This proved to be correct, the pH level did fall

from 5.8 to 3.3. It was predicted that the beaker with the water and sodium hydroxide would

have an increase in pH as sodium hydroxide was added. This, too, was shown to be correct for

the pH rose from 4.4 to 11.0. The beakers with the Buffer pH 7.00 were expected to stay at 7.0,

however, when the hydrochloric acid was added to the first beaker, there was a slight increase in

pH. This could have been due to contamination of the pH meter, or the device not being

properly calibrated. When the sodium hydroxide was added to the second beaker the readings

remained relatively steady at 8.0 and rising to 8.1. Again, this discrepancy could be due to the

device’s calibration. The same results were anticipated for the Buffer pH 4.00. When the

hydrochloric acid was added to the beaker, the pH maintained for the first drop and then fell to

4.8 by the fifteenth. On the other beaker, when the sodium hydroxide as added the pH

maintained for the first three drops, then rose to 5.0. These discrepancies are again likely due to

the calibration and sensitivity of the pH meters provided.

Part B showed a very good example of how the body works to regulate the pH of the

blood. As predicted, it did take less time for the color change to occur after the person had

increased their heart rate and respiratory rate through physical exertion. When the

phenolphthalein was added to the solution of water and sodium hydroxide, the solution turned a

bright pink color. As the person exhaled through the straw, the solution gradually lightened until

it was clear. This occurred due to the introduction of carbon dioxide into the solution. When the

carbon dioxide was added, the solution became more acidic which resulted in the color change.

This occurred quicker after exertion due to the increased presence of carbon dioxide. The carbon
dioxide that was being excreted was increased due to the body having used stored glucose to

make energy for the physical activity. In order to prevent the blood from becoming acidic, the

respirations were increased, and thus more carbon dioxide was released.
Works Cited:

Sheil W. 2018. Medical Definition of Blood pH. MedicineNet.

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10001

McKinley M, O’Loughlin V, Bidle T. 2019. Anatomy and Physiology: An Integrative Approach.

United States: McGraw-Hill Education LLC. 1187 p.

WCCC Bio Department. 2019. Anatomy and Physiology I Supplemental Laboratory Manual.

Youngwood: Westmoreland County Community College. 100 p.