Which compound acts as a major extracellular buffer to maintain blood pH?

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Multiple Choice

Which compound acts as a major extracellular buffer to maintain blood pH?

Bicarbonate acts as the major extracellular buffer in blood. It forms the bicarbonate–carbonic acid system in the plasma, with carbon dioxide in equilibrium with carbonic acid and bicarbonate. The Henderson–Hasselbalch relationship shows how the pH of blood is governed by the ratio of bicarbonate to dissolved CO2; the body maintains this ratio to keep blood pH in a tight range. The lungs modulate CO2 levels, while the kidneys regulate bicarbonate reabsorption and generation, linking respiratory and renal processes to acid–base balance. Proteins and hemoglobin buffer as well, and phosphates have buffering roles mainly inside cells and in urine, but bicarbonate is the dominant extracellular buffer in blood.

Bicarbonate acts as the major extracellular buffer in blood. It forms the bicarbonate–carbonic acid system in the plasma, with carbon dioxide in equilibrium with carbonic acid and bicarbonate. The Henderson–Hasselbalch relationship shows how the pH of blood is governed by the ratio of bicarbonate to dissolved CO2; the body maintains this ratio to keep blood pH in a tight range. The lungs modulate CO2 levels, while the kidneys regulate bicarbonate reabsorption and generation, linking respiratory and renal processes to acid–base balance. Proteins and hemoglobin buffer as well, and phosphates have buffering roles mainly inside cells and in urine, but bicarbonate is the dominant extracellular buffer in blood.

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