Acids and Bases In flouids

Acids and Bases

Learning objectives
• To understand what is meant by the terms acid, base, alkali and pH.
• To recognize the mechanism of buffer solutions.
• To see the relevance of acids and bases to body chemistry, including digestion.
• To introduce and revise the importance of amino acids and zwitterions.

simple Story :
I feel ghastly, my tongue is like leather and my stomach is upset. It must have been that big meal I had last night and the few drinks I had. My stomach is out of order.’ ‘Then take an Alka-Seltzer or something. That helps. It is good for upset stomachs. It helps to restore the correct acidity.’

Buffers . . . we all need them. These are chemicals that manage to maintain a stable body pH. by the way they react with excess acid or alkali. Too much acid and a stomach ulcer develops; too little acid and digestion of foods is affected. Buffers keep the pH just right. Over-eating makes the stomach buffers work overtime and they can take some time to catch up after over-indulgence. The proteins and amino acids of our bodies work as part of the buffer system.