Lecture 2:

Solutions, Ions & pH

Solutions Play a Big Role in Physiology

Solution is a mixture
Most abundant component = ____________(usually water in biology)
Other components = ____________________
Solutions with ____________ ______________ _____________
Liquid solutions good for delivering food, removing wastes. Biological examples:
o ___________
o ___________
o intracellular fluid (fluid within cells)
o interstitial fluid (fluid between cells)

Body is Split Into 3 Solution-Filled Compartments

Body 60-80% water by weight

70 kg man has ~ 49 kg water = ~49 liters
3 Main compartments:

1.
2.
3.

Intracellular (inside cells) = ~ 34 liters

Interstitial (outside cells) = ~ 13 liters
Blood plasma = ~3 liters

40% of blood is ______ ___________ ________(RBCs)

_____ is similar to interstitial fluid, but contains ______ _____
________ = plasma with clotting proteins removed
intracellular fluid is very different from interstitial fluid (high K
concentration instead of high Na concentration, for example)

Boundaries:
________ _____ (1 cell thick) separate blood from interstitial fluid
_____ __________ separate intracellular and interstitial fluids

Loss of about 30% of body water is fatal

o This can be a problem in the desert
o Many diseases involving diarrhea can dehydrate the body to this extent
(i.e., cholera)

Concentrations of Substances Control the Rates of Chemical Reactions

Concentration = amount/volume
Usually given in moles/liter
When chemicals react the rate of reaction is proportional to the concentrations
The speed and effectiveness of reaction of hormones, drugs, poisons and other
chemicals in the body is proportional to concentration.

Much of Physiology is Concerned With Regulation of Body Solutions

Constancy of internal environment essential for survival of cells & organs

(homeostasis)
Blood highly regulated, especially by kidney (kidney filters almost 200 liters of
body fluids/day- about 60 times the plasma volume)
Blood ion concentrations slightly too high or too low can be lethal
Hormones involved in water and salt regulation: ADH, aldosterone, angiotensin,
renin

Water is Very Special in Body

Most abundant chemical of life

Special water properties of importance in physiology:

Property

Biological Applications
Chemical reactions take place readily in liquids.
Liquid over wide temperature Useful for circulatory systems. Many
range
microorganisms find body fluids an attractive place
to live.
Good for chemical reactions, waste removal,
Excellent solvent
delivery of food materials.
Ionizing solvent (high
Ionizes salts, makes conductive solutions.
dielectric constant)
Important for nerves and other excitable tissues.
Important for circulatory systems. Less work for the
Low viscosity (flows readily)
heart.

High surface tension (surface Tends to make the lung alveoli collapse. Causes
acts as though coated with
serious medical problems when lung surfactant is
tough film)
low.
High heat capacity (large
Useful for moving large amounts of heat in the
amount of heat required to raise
circulatory system.
water temperature)
High heat of vaporization
Used by mammals for sweating (the only way the
(large amount of heat removed body can lose heat if the ambient temperature is
when water evaporates)
above body temperature).
Useful for removing the heat produced by
High heat conduction
biological reactions. Prevents overheating of the
body.
Ions (Charged Atoms or Molecules) Can Conduct Electricity

Giving up electron leaves a ___ charge (_______)

Taking on electron produces a __ charge (__________)
Without ions there can be no nerves or excitability
o Na+ and K+ cations (monovalent = 1 charge)
o Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations (divalent = 2 charges)

Na+ & K+ are the Major Cations in Biological Fluids

High K+ in cells, high Na+ outside

Ion gradients maintained by Na pump (~1/3 of basal metabolism)
Energy stored in Na+ and K+ batteries can be tapped when ions flow
Na+ and K+ produce _______ _________ of excitable cells

Physiological Functions are Extremely Sensitive to pH

H+ and OH- ions are very reactive

Substance which donates H+ ions to solution = ________
Substance which donates OH- ions to solution = __________
o pH = - log [H+]

[H+] is the H ion concentration in moles/liter

Approximate
Common Examples
pH
Strong Acids
0-2
Stomach acid (HCl), battery acid (H2SO4)
Weak Acids
3-6
Lemon juice, vinegar, rainwater
Neutral
7
Pure water
Weak Bases
8-11
Bicarbonate solution
Strong Bases
12-14
Solutions of lye (NaOH), oven cleaner (KOH)
Human blood pH is 7.4
o Blood pH above 7.4 = _________
o Blood pH below 7.4 = _________
Body must get rid of ~15 moles of potential acid/day (mostly _____)
o CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid (_________)
o Done mostly by lungs & kidney
In neutralization ____ and ____ react to form water
If the pH changes charges on molecules also change, especially charges on
proteins
o This changes the reactivity of proteins such as enzymes
Large pH changes occur as food passes through the intestines.
o

The Body Regulates pH in Several Ways

Buffers are weak acid mixtures (such as bicarbonate/CO2) which minimize pH

change
o Buffer is always a mixture of 2 compounds
One compound takes up H ions if there are too many (_________)
The second compound releases H ions if there are not enough
(___________)
o The strength of a buffer is given by the buffer capacity
Buffer capacity is proportional to the buffer concentration and to a
parameter known as the pK
CO2 gas (a potential acid) is eliminated by the_________
Other acids and bases are eliminated by the ____________

Many Serious Medical Problems Involve Abnormalities of Salt, Water or pH

Examples:
o Hyperkalemia: caused by kidney disease & medical malpractice
High K+ in blood- can stop the heart in contraction (systole)
o Dehydration: walking in desert- can lose 1-2 liters/hour through sweat
Blood becomes too viscous to circulate well -> loss of temperature
regulation -> hyperthermia, death
o Acidosis: many causes including diabetes mellitus and respiratory
problems; can cause coma, death