Question

10 multiple choice 10 points carbonic acid and bicarbonate buffer in blood are extremely important to help maintain homeostasis. what would happen to the ph of the blood if bicarbonate were removed? removing bicarbonate from the blood would not affect the ph removing bicarbonate from the blood would decrease the ph removing bicarbonate from the blood would increase the ph

Explanation:

The carbonic acid - bicarbonate buffer system in blood is based on the equilibrium: $\ce{H_{2}CO_{3}
ightleftharpoons H^{+} + HCO^{-}_{3}}$. Bicarbonate ($\ce{HCO^{-}_{3}}$) acts as a base to neutralize excess $\ce{H^{+}}$. If bicarbonate is removed, the buffer's ability to neutralize $\ce{H^{+}}$ is reduced. The concentration of $\ce{H^{+}}$ will increase (since the equilibrium shifts to the right to replace the removed $\ce{HCO^{-}_{3}}$), and since $\text{pH}=-\log[\ce{H^{+}}]$, an increase in $\ce{H^{+}}$ concentration leads to a decrease in pH.

Answer:

B. Removing bicarbonate from the blood would decrease the pH