Anatomy and Physiology II Practice Test

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When a fixed acid is buffered in the blood, what happens to the amount of NaHCO3 in the blood?

Increases
Decreases
Remains unchanged
Increases slightly

The correct answer is: Decreases

When a fixed acid is buffered in the blood, the amount of NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) decreases. This is because fixed acids, such as lactic acid or hydrochloric acid, can lead to a reduction in the pH of the blood, prompting the buffering system to respond. The body maintains pH through the use of bicarbonate ions, which can bind to excess hydrogen ions produced from the dissociation of the fixed acid to form carbonic acid. As the bicarbonate ions buffer the fixed acid, they react with hydrogen ions, reducing the concentration of available NaHCO3 in the blood. To compensate for this loss, the body may also engage in metabolic processes to regenerate bicarbonate, but in the immediate sense concerning buffering, the concentration of NaHCO3 diminishes as it is used up in the buffering reaction. This dynamic is crucial for maintaining acid-base balance in the body.