How buffers help you... to remain alive...!!!
By Iftikhar A. Khan
Ah... Chemistry. Chemistry may seem like a intimidating way to describe things. (Trust me, it's not...for the most part...) But before you navigate to another page (which you should do after reading this article...), reflect that if Chemistry was not here, guess what would happen to YOU? Nothing? Well, think again.(You can already feel the sarcasm... :D ) Because, the blood in your body works like a buffer which is one of the basic (...'basic' meaning fundamental; not Proton accepting solutions although, that's what you thought, right? :) ) topics of Chemistry. Yes, you are thinking about the right thing... Buffers!!! Don't know what buffers are? Well, you have come to the right place... :) Stay with us... And we will take you on a journey that explains system from your Blood to the rivers battling Acid Rains.....
Now, before you go all high-entropy on your hair trying to figure out the image, (which you already should've done...) you have to realize that blood is a pretty complex system and there are different types of buffers. But they are connected in a way. Can you guess how? Wait for it... They are all Buffers! So, what happens to you when you hold your breath? (... Tryin' tuh be a biology nerd... B).. ) Well, apparently, you are not letting the carbon dioxide out of your body, correct? So, those carbon dioxide guys are getting all pumped up...and all crowded. They need to do something!!! Now, what do y'all know is there in plenty in the body? Guess...Water!!! (a.k.a Di-Hydrogen Monoxide). Now, those hungry (!!!) carbon dioxides are going to react with the water. And according to the Le Chatelier's principle......(Oh! Here we go again... Let's avoid the boring technical stuff...). Just remember that, if there is a ton of people in a country they need to immigrate to a less-densely populated country so that you know...they don't get crushed... Anyhow, that's what happens with the carbon dioxide and water as they form H2CO3. Let us speculate what would happen if these Carbonic Acid molecules got produced in the thousands.(...If you didn't know, Chemistry is a lot about speculation...) It is rather simple if you take a careful look at the picture below:
We can summarize our speculation in the following steps. (...as we try to hold our breath).
Firstly, when the Carbon Dioxide increases due to not breathing, the body forms more and more Carbon Dioxide.
But you do realize that without the buffer system, you would have no sensation of the necessity to breathe. And that is why respiration is a semi voluntary system (...Again Biology... )-: ...) It can be controlled by your own will as you try to hold your breath. But not for long... Buffers to the Rescue!!! Without them you would be....well.....let's just say you would no longer be where you are...you get the idea...!!! Also if you have good time breathing carbon, then Good Luck....By now you know why...
Firstly, when the Carbon Dioxide increases due to not breathing, the body forms more and more Carbon Dioxide.
- The imbalance of Carbonic Acid and Carbon Dioxide causes the the reaction to produce more products that is more Carbonic Acid.
- Then, the Carbonic Acid also has an imbalance with the Bicarbonate Ion and Hydrogen ion in the corresponding reaction.
- The rise of H+ ion in the blood makes the pH of blood to decrease.
- The brain has sensitive response system, that responses when the pH rises or decreases from the optimum value.
- The brain then forces you to breathe or create a strong sensation of the necessity to breath.
But you do realize that without the buffer system, you would have no sensation of the necessity to breathe. And that is why respiration is a semi voluntary system (...Again Biology... )-: ...) It can be controlled by your own will as you try to hold your breath. But not for long... Buffers to the Rescue!!! Without them you would be....well.....let's just say you would no longer be where you are...you get the idea...!!! Also if you have good time breathing carbon, then Good Luck....By now you know why...
But... (For the enthusiasts...)
By now, you are really interested in understanding how Buffers are formed... right? :D. For that, we would need to go back to the reaction picture.
Basically, the Carbonic acid forms Hydrogen (H+) ions and Bicarbonate ions, right? But there's more to eye... Can you notice something in the picture that may seem like there is a point where the opposite happens? (Hint: It's an ARROW...) The arrow indicates that, the products (...the ones on the right of the arrow) of the reaction also react to form the Reactant (Weird...no?...But that's how it is...) This slows down the forward reaction and so a buffer is formed...(Heh?...Some Explanation... :P ...)
Basically, the Carbonic acid forms Hydrogen (H+) ions and Bicarbonate ions, right? But there's more to eye... Can you notice something in the picture that may seem like there is a point where the opposite happens? (Hint: It's an ARROW...) The arrow indicates that, the products (...the ones on the right of the arrow) of the reaction also react to form the Reactant (Weird...no?...But that's how it is...) This slows down the forward reaction and so a buffer is formed...(Heh?...Some Explanation... :P ...)