1. (15) Bicarbonate buffer, one of the more important buffers in the blood, has three equilibria components. (a) Write the first two equilibria reactions beginning with the bicarbonate buffer system.
(b) Because the concentration of H2CO3 is very low in the blood, the first two equilibria can be simplified to what equilibria reaction:
Metabolic acidosis is a pathological condition that arises when the blood pH falls because of excess acid production. Excess protons in the blood decrease the amount of HCO3- and thus reduce the buffering capacity of the blood. A rapid drop in pH could lead to death. Normal blood are: pH = 7.4; [HCO3-] = 24mM, and [CO2] = 1.20 mM
(c) If a patient has a blood pH of 7.03 and [CO2] = 1.2 mM, what is the concentration of [HCO3-] in the patient's blood. The pKa of HCO3- = 6.1. You must use your equilibria reactions and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to support your answer.