What is the primary mechanism by which the body maintains blood pH within a narr
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary mechanism by which the body maintains blood pH within a narrow range?
Respiratory regulation
Renal regulation
Buffer systems
All of the above
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary mechanism by which the body maintains blood pH within a narrow range?
Step 1: Understand that blood pH is a measure of how acidic or basic the blood is.
Step 2: Know that the normal range for blood pH is about 7.35 to 7.45.
Step 3: Learn that the body has three main ways to keep blood pH in this range: respiratory regulation, renal regulation, and buffer systems.
Step 4: Respiratory regulation involves the lungs controlling the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood. When CO2 levels rise, blood becomes more acidic, and the body can breathe faster to remove CO2 and raise pH.
Step 5: Renal regulation involves the kidneys filtering blood and excreting excess acids or bases. They can adjust the amount of bicarbonate (a base) in the blood to help maintain pH.
Step 6: Buffer systems are chemicals in the blood that can quickly neutralize acids or bases to keep pH stable. Bicarbonate is a key buffer in the blood.
