Question

When healthy, the pH of human blood is normally maintained within the range 7.3 ‐ 7.5.  This pH is regulated in your body by coupling your exhalation of CO2 with the formation of a weak acid and its conjugate in blood. How is blood pH maintained and identify the weak acid‐base conjugate pair responsible for this essential function in humans (you do not need to explain the entire system).

Answer 1

Solution: in our blood, carbonic acid, a wealsdiprotic acid and the bicarbonate ion serve as one of the buffer system used to maintain a remarkably constant pH (7.3-7.5) in the face of the body's production of organic acids by metabolism.

Hence, weak acid base conjugate pair responsible for maintaining constant pH of blood is

On adding small amount of strong acid say H+

On adding small amount of strong base say OH-

Thus combinations has reverse acidity and reverse alkalinity. In this way this combination of weak acid and its conjugate acts as a buffer