Faiz Shaikh

Buffers Solutions in Biological Environments

Before understanding buffers we need

to understand what the term pH stands
for. pH is the negative of the
concentration of hydrogen ions when
applied
to a log10 scale. This can be
Figure 1 - pH Formula (Homemade Sausages,
2014)
demonstrated by the formula above.
Essentially, pH indicates the amount of
hydrogen ions present in solution which is important as varying degrees of
hydrogen ion concentration in a solution can gives it properties such
corrosiveness (Corrosive Materials - Hazards, 2008). To demonstrate this, if I
had a solution with a hydrogen concentration of 2.81 X 10-10 then my pH would
be 9.55 as shown by the figure 2 below.

Figure 2 - Working out pH (Buffer Solutions, 2013)

Buffers are solutions that resist a change in pH when small amounts of acid or
alkali are added. They work due to the equilibrium between a weak acid and its
corresponding salt. When acids are added to a buffer the increase in H+ causes
the equilibrium to shift to the left meaning the [H+ ] decreases again thus pH
remains the same. When an alkali is added the OH- reacts with the H+ to form H20
thus [H+ ] decreases causing the equilibrium to shift to the right and thus
increase the [H+ ] again meaning the pH remains the same.

Figure 3 - buffer equilibrium (Buffer Solutions, 2013)

Acidic buffers have a pH below 7 and comprise of a weak acid and its
corresponding salt. Alkali buffers have a pH above 7 and comprise of a weak
alkali and its corresponding salt.

Faiz Shaikh
Buffers form when solutions are titrated which can be seen from figure 4 below.

Figure 4 - Titration Curve (Titrations, 2014)

Proteins have an optimum pH and increasing the pH above this can cause the
proteins active site to denature and thus the protein can no longer bind to its
substrate. To prevent this from happening, our bodies have evolved to create a
phosphate buffer system which is used to maintain a constant pH within a cell.
This is shown by the equation below.
( )
( )
( )
Buffers are also found within the blood itself. An acidic buffer is formed from
carbonic acid, water and carbon dioxide. The body maintains this buffer by the
amount of respiration which takes place. This is shown by the equation below.
Carbonic acid is used to maintain a consistent pH within blood, as small changes
in blood pH can result in acidosis (where the blood is too low) or alkalosis
(where blood pH is too high). Respiration controls the concentration of carbonic
acid within the body using the equilibrium between carbonic acid, water and
carbon dioxide. When we breathe out, the concentration of carbon dioxide
decreases, consequently the concentration of carbonic acid decreases. The
kidneys control the concentration of
by removing excess in urine. The
equilibrium between the carbonic acid and
is represented by the following
chemical equation.
( )
( )
( )
Many foods contain additives, which are buffers, to maintain the foods flavor and
appearance. Bacteria and fungi thrive on food, this causes food to deteriorate and
rot. Buffers aid the control of bacterial growth by sustaining conditions in which
they will not thrive. This also prevents harmful bacteria from growing on our
food. Sodium citrate is a buffer used mainly in drinks, where equilibrium is

Faiz Shaikh
established between citric acid and citrate ions. Another widely used buffer in
the food industry is phosphoric acid.
A constant pH is essential in organisms to allow biochemical reactions to take
place. Buffers are used to maintain conditions with a constant pH within
biological systems. This ensures that biochemical reactions occur undisturbed.
They can also be used to sustain conditions where harmful bacteria and fungi
cannot reproduce.

Bibliography
Corrosive Materials - Hazards. (2008, september 01). Retrieved 12 02, 2014, from
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety:
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/corrosive/corrosiv.html
Buffer Solutions. (2013, 11). Retrieved 12 02, 2014, from ChemGuide:
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/buffers.html
(2014, 10 06). Retrieved 12 02, 2014, from Homemade Sausages:
http://lpoli.50webs.com/page0001.htm
Titrations. (2014). Retrieved from sparknotes:
http://www.sparknotes.com/chemistry/acidsbases/titrations/section1.h
tml