Blood Buffer Systems Quiz

Buffers and pH Regulation

• Bicarbonate serves as the major buffer of the blood, maintaining a pH around 7.
• When pH is low (acidic solution), the reaction HCO3- + H+ → H2CO3 is favored.
• When pH is high (basic solution), the reaction H2CO3 → HCO3- + H+ is favored.

Organic Molecules

• Many organic molecules are large and complex, held together by covalent bonds.
• Carbon has four electrons in its outer orbital, allowing it to bond with multiple atoms and form long chains.
• Four main classes of organic molecules exist.

Isotopes

• An isotope is an atom with the same atomic number but differing atomic mass due to varying numbers of neutrons.

Carbon Skeleton and Functional Groups

• A chain of carbon atoms in an organic molecule is called a carbon skeleton.
• Functional groups can be added to the carbon skeleton, and the molecule is named according to its functional group.

Ring Structures

• Ends of some hydrocarbons can be joined to form cyclic ring structures.
• Cyclic rings with double bonds between adjacent carbons form aromatic rings.

Functional Groups and Isomers

• Isomers can have the same atoms arranged in the same sequence but differ in 3-dimensional orientation of key functional groups.

Inorganic and Organic Compounds

• Compounds are substances containing atoms of two or more different elements.
• Two principle classes: inorganic and organic compounds.
• Inorganic compounds usually lack carbon, have simple structures, and cannot perform complex chemical reactions.
• Organic compounds always contain carbon, hydrogen, and covalent bonds.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates supply energy and have structural functions.
• Examples include glucose, complex carbohydrates, glycoproteins, and glycolipids.
• Excess carbohydrates are converted to fat.
• Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of (CH2O).

Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides

• Monosaccharides are simple sugars with 3-7 carbon atoms (e.g., glucose, galactose, fructose, deoxyribose, and ribose).
• Disaccharides are formed by two monosaccharides joined covalently (e.g., sucrose, maltose, and lactose).
• Polysaccharides are composed of many monosaccharides joined covalently (e.g., starch, cellulose, and glycogen).

Lipids

• Lipids are the second most important organic compound found in the body, making up 18-25% of body mass.
• Lipids contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but do not have a 2:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen.
• There are several different types of lipids, including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, which differ in chemical structure.