Buffer

Buffer is a solution in which the concentration of hydrogen ions (pH) remains virtually unchanged when an acid or alkali is added, as well as when it is diluted. The main buffer of blood and extracellular body fluids is bicarbonate systems (H2COZ/HCOP-). See also Acid-base equilibrium.

A buffer is a solution in which the concentration of hydrogen ions remains virtually unchanged when an acid or alkali is added or diluted. Buffers are used in many fields of science and technology, such as medicine, chemistry, biology and physics.

The main buffer for blood and extracellular fluid is the bicarbonate system (H2CO3/HCO3-). In the blood, the concentration of bicarbonates is about 25 mmol/l, which provides a buffer capacity of the blood. However, when the pH of the blood changes, for example due to metabolic disorders or medications, changes in bicarbonate concentrations may occur. Therefore, maintaining a constant pH level in the blood is an important factor for human health.

Buffers are also used in laboratory experiments to maintain constant concentrations of reactants and reaction products. For example, in chemistry, buffer solutions are used to carry out reactions that are sensitive to the pH of the environment.

In general, buffers play an important role in maintaining the stability of the properties of solutions and providing stable conditions for the occurrence of various reactions and processes.

Buffer A buffer is a relatively stable compound that reacts only when the concentration of an individual component changes. It is thanks to this property that it can withstand changes in pH over a wide range and does not cause any significant changes in its chemical composition.

Buffering is a process that makes a buffer neutral against the effects of strong acids and alkalis. This property is important for maintaining the stability of basic biochemical reactions and maintaining normal physiological conditions in the body. Thus, in the body, buffers protect pH from changes associated with metabolic processes and redox reactions. In particular, it is thanks to the buffer system that the desired pH level is maintained in the blood between 7.35 and 7.45, that is, the pH of the body is maintained at a given level in the range from 7 to 8.