BIOS 256 EXAM REVIEW
1. What are the effects of dehydration on chloride levels?: Dehydration canlead to
hyperchloremia.
2. What is the relationship between bicarbonate and chloride ions?: Bicarbon-ate can be
exchanged with chloride ions through the process of chloride shift.
3. What is the role of antidiuretic hormones in electrolyte balance?: They determine the
amount of water lost from the body, affecting electrolyte concentration.
4. What is the function of electrolytes in pH balance?: Electrolytes help maintain the acid-
base balance in the body.
5. What are the general functions of electrolytes in the body?: Hormone regulation,
neuromuscular activity, synaptic transmission, myocardial function, and fluidbalance.
6. What determines the pH of a solution?: The pH of a solution is determinedsolely by its
hydrogen ions (H+).
7. What is the definition of an acid?: An acid is any chemical that donates H+ insolution.
8. What is the definition of a base?: A base is any chemical that accepts H+ ina solution.
9. How does a strong acid like hydrochloric acid (HCl) behave in solution?: Astrong acid like
HCl ionizes freely and gives up most of its H+.
10. What effect do strong bases have on pH?: Strong bases, such as the hydrox-ide ion (OH
), have a strong tendency to bind H+, markedly raising pH.
11. How do weak acids behave in solution?: Weak acids like carbonic acid(H2CO3) ionize
only slightly.
12. What is the role of weak bases in pH regulation?: Weak bases, such as thebicarbonate ion
(HCO3 ), bind less of the available H+ and have less effect on pH.
13. What is a buffer?: A buffer is any mechanism that resists changes in pH byconverting
strong acids or bases to weak ones.
14. What is a physiological buffer?: A physiological buffer is an organ system thatcontrols the
output of acids, bases, or CO2.
15. What is a chemical buffer?: A chemical buffer is a substance that binds H+ and removes
it from solution as its concentration begins to rise or releases H+ intosolution as its
concentration falls.
16. Which organ system buffers the greatest quantity of acid or base?: Theurinary system
buffers the greatest quantity of acid or base.
17. How quickly does the respiratory system buffer pH?: The respiratory systembuffers pH
within minutes.
18. What are the major chemical buffers in the body?: The major chemicalbuffers are
bicarbonate, phosphate, hemoglobin, and protein systems.
, 19. What is the bicarbonate buffer system?: The bicarbonate buffer system in- volves
converting strong acids and bases into weak acids and bases, using carbonicacid and bicarbonate
ions in a reversible reaction.
20. How do the kidneys help regulate pH?: To lower pH, kidneys excrete HCO3;to raise pH,
kidneys excrete H+ and lungs excrete CO2.
21. What happens to CO2 in the blood when it mixes with water?: CO2 mixeswith water in
blood to form carbonic acid.
22. How does exhaling CO2 affect pH?: Exhaling CO2 leads to less acid produc-tion and a
rise in pH.
23. What is the phosphate buffer system?: The phosphate buffer system is a solution of
HPO4^2 and H2PO4 , important for buffering in the intracellular fluid
(ICFand renal tubules.
24. What is the protein buffer system?: The protein buffer system accounts for about 3/4 of
all chemical buffering in body fluids, with proteins' buffering ability dueto certain side groups
of their amino acid residues.
25. What is acidosis?: Acidosis is defined as a pH of extracellular fluid (ECF) <7.35,leading to
H+ diffusion into cells and elevated K+ concentration in ECF.
26. What is respiratory acidosis?: Respiratory acidosis occurs when the rate ofalveolar
ventilation fails to keep pace with the rate of CO2 production, leading to carbon dioxide
accumulation and lowered pH.
27. What is metabolic acidosis?: Metabolic acidosis is characterized by increasedproduction of
organic acids, such as lactic acid, and loss of bicarbonate (HCO3).
28. What is alkalosis?: Alkalosis is defined as a pH >7.45, where H+ diffuses outof cells and
K+ diffuses in.
29. What causes respiratory alkalosis?: Respiratory alkalosis results from hyper-ventilation,
where CO2 is eliminated faster than it is produced.
30. What is the clinical application of arterial blood gases?: When solving forarterial blood
gases, determine if the pH is acidotic (<7.35) or alkalotic (>7.45), identify if this is due to an
abnormality with PaCO2 or [HCO3], and check for compensation.
31. What is meant by 'uncompensated' in acid-base balance?: Uncompensated refers to a
condition where only PaCO2 or [HCO3 ] is outside normal parameters, while the other remains
normal, indicating no compensatory mechanisms have beeninitiated.
32. What characterizes a 'partially compensated' acid-base condition?: Partial- ly compensated
is when both values (PaCO2 and [HCO3 ]) are abnormal and
the pHis also abnormal, indicating the body is attempting to correct the imbalance.
1. What are the effects of dehydration on chloride levels?: Dehydration canlead to
hyperchloremia.
2. What is the relationship between bicarbonate and chloride ions?: Bicarbon-ate can be
exchanged with chloride ions through the process of chloride shift.
3. What is the role of antidiuretic hormones in electrolyte balance?: They determine the
amount of water lost from the body, affecting electrolyte concentration.
4. What is the function of electrolytes in pH balance?: Electrolytes help maintain the acid-
base balance in the body.
5. What are the general functions of electrolytes in the body?: Hormone regulation,
neuromuscular activity, synaptic transmission, myocardial function, and fluidbalance.
6. What determines the pH of a solution?: The pH of a solution is determinedsolely by its
hydrogen ions (H+).
7. What is the definition of an acid?: An acid is any chemical that donates H+ insolution.
8. What is the definition of a base?: A base is any chemical that accepts H+ ina solution.
9. How does a strong acid like hydrochloric acid (HCl) behave in solution?: Astrong acid like
HCl ionizes freely and gives up most of its H+.
10. What effect do strong bases have on pH?: Strong bases, such as the hydrox-ide ion (OH
), have a strong tendency to bind H+, markedly raising pH.
11. How do weak acids behave in solution?: Weak acids like carbonic acid(H2CO3) ionize
only slightly.
12. What is the role of weak bases in pH regulation?: Weak bases, such as thebicarbonate ion
(HCO3 ), bind less of the available H+ and have less effect on pH.
13. What is a buffer?: A buffer is any mechanism that resists changes in pH byconverting
strong acids or bases to weak ones.
14. What is a physiological buffer?: A physiological buffer is an organ system thatcontrols the
output of acids, bases, or CO2.
15. What is a chemical buffer?: A chemical buffer is a substance that binds H+ and removes
it from solution as its concentration begins to rise or releases H+ intosolution as its
concentration falls.
16. Which organ system buffers the greatest quantity of acid or base?: Theurinary system
buffers the greatest quantity of acid or base.
17. How quickly does the respiratory system buffer pH?: The respiratory systembuffers pH
within minutes.
18. What are the major chemical buffers in the body?: The major chemicalbuffers are
bicarbonate, phosphate, hemoglobin, and protein systems.
, 19. What is the bicarbonate buffer system?: The bicarbonate buffer system in- volves
converting strong acids and bases into weak acids and bases, using carbonicacid and bicarbonate
ions in a reversible reaction.
20. How do the kidneys help regulate pH?: To lower pH, kidneys excrete HCO3;to raise pH,
kidneys excrete H+ and lungs excrete CO2.
21. What happens to CO2 in the blood when it mixes with water?: CO2 mixeswith water in
blood to form carbonic acid.
22. How does exhaling CO2 affect pH?: Exhaling CO2 leads to less acid produc-tion and a
rise in pH.
23. What is the phosphate buffer system?: The phosphate buffer system is a solution of
HPO4^2 and H2PO4 , important for buffering in the intracellular fluid
(ICFand renal tubules.
24. What is the protein buffer system?: The protein buffer system accounts for about 3/4 of
all chemical buffering in body fluids, with proteins' buffering ability dueto certain side groups
of their amino acid residues.
25. What is acidosis?: Acidosis is defined as a pH of extracellular fluid (ECF) <7.35,leading to
H+ diffusion into cells and elevated K+ concentration in ECF.
26. What is respiratory acidosis?: Respiratory acidosis occurs when the rate ofalveolar
ventilation fails to keep pace with the rate of CO2 production, leading to carbon dioxide
accumulation and lowered pH.
27. What is metabolic acidosis?: Metabolic acidosis is characterized by increasedproduction of
organic acids, such as lactic acid, and loss of bicarbonate (HCO3).
28. What is alkalosis?: Alkalosis is defined as a pH >7.45, where H+ diffuses outof cells and
K+ diffuses in.
29. What causes respiratory alkalosis?: Respiratory alkalosis results from hyper-ventilation,
where CO2 is eliminated faster than it is produced.
30. What is the clinical application of arterial blood gases?: When solving forarterial blood
gases, determine if the pH is acidotic (<7.35) or alkalotic (>7.45), identify if this is due to an
abnormality with PaCO2 or [HCO3], and check for compensation.
31. What is meant by 'uncompensated' in acid-base balance?: Uncompensated refers to a
condition where only PaCO2 or [HCO3 ] is outside normal parameters, while the other remains
normal, indicating no compensatory mechanisms have beeninitiated.
32. What characterizes a 'partially compensated' acid-base condition?: Partial- ly compensated
is when both values (PaCO2 and [HCO3 ]) are abnormal and
the pHis also abnormal, indicating the body is attempting to correct the imbalance.
