Acid base physiology

Acid-base physiology is the study of the acids, bases and their reactions in the body. For survival, acid base homeostasis is an absolute requirement.

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The traditional approach to the study of acid-base physiology has been the empiric approach. The main variants are the base excess approach and the bicarbonate approach. The modern quantitative approach introduced by Peter A Stewart in 1978^[1] is now emerging as the most correct approach.

pH parturition

pH parturition is the tendency for acids to accumulate in basic fluid compartments, and bases to accumulate in acidic compartments.

The reason is that acids become negatively electric charged in basic fluids, since they donate a proton. On the other hand, bases become positively electric charged in acid fluids, since they receive a proton.

Since electric charge decrease the membrane permeability of substances, once an acid enters a basic fluid and becomes electrically charged, then it cannot escape that compartment with ease and therefore accumulates, and vice versa with bases.

References

1. ^ Stewart P (1978). "Independent and dependent variables of acid-base control". Respir Physiol 33 (1): 9-26. PMID 27857.

External links

• Stewart's original text at acidbase.org
• Overview at med.utah.edu
• Overview at anaesthetist.com
• Overview at anst.uu.se
• Tutorial at acid-base.com
• On-line Acid-Base Physiology text