BIOCHEM 3H03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Bicarbonate, Cellular Respiration, Glutamine

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: BIOCHEM 3H03
• Professor: Stephen Hill

Document Summary

[h+] in plasma 35-45 nmol/l: ph 7. 35 7. 45. Dissolved co2 we usually measure this as partial pressure of co2: pco2. Normal body metabolism creates a large amount of acid, h: from diet 50 100 mmol/day. Mostly from sulphur containing amino acids: from oxidative metabolism 15,000 mmol/day. Products of oxidative metabolism are co2 and h2o: make between 15-16 mols of h+ ions per day but we have to keep the concentration in plasma to 35-45 nmol/l. Co2 is removed from the body by the lungs. If co2 (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t (cid:271)e re(cid:373)oved h+ will accumulate. [h+] must be maintained within very narrow limits to be compatible with life: metabolic processes operate only at very specific ph. If h+ added to water, [h+] will change significantly unless there are buffer systems to handle the acid load. Main body buffer systems: proteins, extracellular plasma proteins.