Bicarbonate: A Good Buffer For Blood
Submitted by on January 1, 1999
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Bicarbonate: A good buffer for blood
Most carbon dioxide generated during metabolism is transported in the form of bicarbonate ions, which result from the dissociation of carbonic acid formed in the red blood cells from the chemical union of carbon dioxide and water. Hydrogen ions from the dissociation are bound to hemoglobin and other proteins, serving to buffer the blood. The entire process is reversed when blood enters the lungs, allowing free carbon dioxide to diffuse into the environment.
One of the most important cases of chemical balance in the blood is the exchange of the gases oxygen and carbon dioxide. The hemoglobin also helps the blood transport carbon dioxide and assists in buffering the blood. Carbon dioxide diffuses into the blood plasma and then into the red blood cells, where the CO2 is converted to bicarbonate. Carbon dioxide first reacts with water...