The active reaction of the environment ph is more constant in. Active reaction of the environment. There is no HTML version of the work yet

For the reactions occurring in the body, the active reaction of the environment is of great importance.
Under the active reaction of the environment understand the concentration in the solution of hydrogen ions or hydroxyl ions.
Many substances (electrolytes) decompose into ions in an aqueous solution. Depending on the nature of the electrolyte, the degree of decomposition (dissociation) is different. Pure water is a very weak electrolyte that dissociates into hydrogen and hydroxyl ions:

The amount of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in pure water is negligible and amounts to 0.0000001 g.
Acids in aqueous solutions dissociate into a hydrogen ion and the corresponding anion:

and the bases - into the hydroxyl ion and the corresponding cation:

If the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution is equal to the concentration of hydroxyl ions ([H+]=[OH-]), the reaction is neutral; if the concentration of hydrogen ions is less than the concentration of hydroxyl ions ((OH]), the reaction is acidic.
With the same normality of solutions of acetic and hydrochloric acids, the active reaction in a solution of acetic acid is less than in a solution of hydrochloric acid, since acetic acid dissociates more weakly than hydrochloric acid, as a result of which there are fewer hydrogen ions in an acetic acid solution than in a hydrochloric acid solution.
Thus, the neutral reaction of the medium is characterized by the equality of the concentrations of H+ and OH- ions in solution, the acid reaction is characterized by the predominance of hydrogen ions over hydroxyl ions, and the alkaline reaction is characterized by the predominance of hydroxyl ions over hydrogen ions. With an increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, the concentration of hydroxyl ions decreases, and vice versa. Even in very acidic solutions there is always an insignificant amount of hydroxyl ions and in very alkaline solutions there are always hydrogen ions. Therefore, the active reaction of the medium can be characterized by the content of hydrogen ions or the content of hydroxyl ions. It is customary to express the active reaction of the medium in terms of the concentration of hydrogen ions, which for water is equal to 1 * 10w-7. In order not to operate in practical work with such inconvenient numerical values, the active reaction of the medium is mostly expressed in terms of the pH value.
Hydrogen index is the logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions, taken with the opposite sign:

Changes in pH in the range from 0 to 7 characterize acidic, at pH 7 neutral and pH from 7 to 14 alkaline.
Different chemical processes proceed differently, depending on whether the reaction of the medium is acidic, neutral or alkaline. The situation is the same with the processes occurring in the cells of a living organism, and here the reaction of the environment plays an important role. This is confirmed by the fact that the constancy of the reaction of blood and tissue fluids, such as lymph, is maintained with great accuracy, despite the fact that the substances formed in the tissues during metabolism tend to disturb it.
The properties of proteins manifest themselves in strict dependence on the nature of the reaction of the medium. The importance of the active reaction of the medium for enzymatic processes is especially important.
The reaction of the blood environment and other tissues and organs is slightly alkaline, close to neutral. In the blood, pH constancy is maintained within very narrow limits (7.3-7.4). A shift in pH to the acidic or alkaline side is the result of any disturbances occurring in the body.
The constancy of the pH of the blood is maintained by chemical regulation of the buffer systems present in the blood and by the removal of metabolic end products from the lungs and kidneys. The lungs remove acidic products - carbon dioxide, the kidneys - phosphates and ammonia, the latter mainly after being converted into urea.
Buffering action is understood as the ability of a solution to resist changes in pH, which would have to occur due to the addition of an acid or alkali.
The buffer systems of blood and tissue fluids can maintain a constant pH during the formation of acids and bases released during metabolism.
Of the buffer systems, proteins are of the greatest importance in the body, as well as mineral compounds - bicarbonates and phosphates of sodium and potassium. Buffer blood systems are: caroonate - H2CO3/NaHCO3, phosphate NaH2PO4/NaHPO4 and protein-acid/protein-salt.
In the body, when sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 interacts with phosphoric acid released during the exchange, carbonic acid is formed:

Carbonic acid, being very unstable, quickly decomposes and is excreted from the body together with the exhaled air in the form of water and carbon dioxide. This ensures that the pH of the blood remains constant. Phosphoric acid salts also counteract changes in pH. For example, when lactic acid reacts with disubstituted sodium phosphate, a sodium salt of lactic acid and monosubstituted sodium phosphate are formed:

Ammonia, formed during base exchange, binds with free carbonic acid, resulting in the formation of ammonium bicarbonate:

The most important buffer substance in whole blood is the protein hemoglobin, which, due to its acidic properties, can bind bases and form salts, such as Na-hemoglobin.
The buffering capacity of blood can be shown by the following example: in order to shift the pH of the blood serum to the alkaline side to pH 8.2, you need to add 70 times more alkali than to water, and to shift the pH of the blood to 4.4, you need to add to the blood 327 times more hydrochloric acid than water.

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The active reaction of the blood is an extremely important homeostatic constant of the body, which ensures the course of redox processes, the activity of enzymes, the direction and intensity of all types of metabolism.
The acidity or alkalinity of a solution depends on the content of free hydrogen ions [H+] in it. The quantitatively active reaction of the blood is characterized by a hydrogen indicator - pH (power hydrogen - "power of hydrogen").
The hydrogen index is the negative decimal logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions, i.e. pH = -lg.
The pH symbol and the pH scale (from 0 to 14) were introduced in 1908 by Servicen. If the pH is 7.0 (neutral reaction medium), then the content of H+ ions is 107 mol/l. The acid reaction of the solution has a pH of 0 to 7; alkaline - from 7 to 14.
The acid is considered as a donor of hydrogen ions, the base - as their acceptor, i.e., a substance that can bind hydrogen ions.
The constancy of the acid-base state (ACS) is maintained by both physicochemical (buffer systems) and physiological compensation mechanisms (lungs, kidneys, liver, and other organs).
Buffer systems are called solutions that have the properties of sufficiently stable to maintain the constancy of the concentration of hydrogen ions, both when adding acids or alkalis, and when diluted.
A buffer system is a mixture of a weak acid with a strong base salt of that acid.
An example is the conjugated acid-base pair of the carbonate buffer system: H2CO3 and NaHC03.
There are several buffer systems in the blood:
1) bicarbonate (a mixture of H2CO3 and HCO3-);
2) the hemoglobin-oxyhemoglobin system (oxyhemoglobin has the properties of a weak acid, and deoxyhemoglobin has the properties of a weak base);
3) protein (due to the ability of proteins to ionize);
4) phosphate system (diphosphate - monophosphate).
The most powerful is the bicarbonate buffer system - it includes 53% of the total buffer capacity of the blood, the remaining systems account for 35%, 7% and 5%, respectively. The special significance of the hemoglobin buffer is that the acidity of hemoglobin depends on its oxygenation, that is, oxygen gas exchange potentiates the buffering effect of the system.
The exceptionally high buffering capacity of blood plasma can be illustrated by the following example. If 1 ml of decinormal hydrochloric acid is added with a kilo of neutral saline, which is not a buffer, then its pH will drop from 7.0 to 2.0. If the same amount of hydrochloric acid is added to a kilo of plasma, then the pH will decrease from only 7.4 to 7.2.
The role of the kidneys in maintaining a constant acid-base state is to bind or excrete hydrogen ions and return sodium and bicarbonate ions to the blood. The mechanisms of regulation of COS by the kidneys are closely related to water-salt metabolism. Metabolic renal compensation develops much more slowly than respiratory compensation - within 6-12 hours.
The constancy of the acid-base state is also maintained by the activity of the liver. Most organic acids in the liver are oxidized, and the intermediate and final products either do not have an acidic character, or are volatile acids (carbon dioxide) that are quickly removed by the lungs. Lactic acid is converted to glycogen (animal starch) in the liver. Of great importance is the ability of the liver to remove inorganic acids along with bile.
The secretion of acidic gastric juice and alkaline juices (pancreatic and intestinal) is also important in the regulation of CBS.
A huge role in maintaining the constancy of CBS belongs to breathing. Through the lungs in the form of carbon dioxide, 95% of the acid valences formed in the body are excreted. During the day, a person releases about 15,000 mmol of carbon dioxide, therefore, approximately the same amount of hydrogen ions disappears from the blood (H2CO3 \u003d CO2T + H2O). For comparison: the kidneys daily excrete 40-60 mmol H + in the form of non-volatile acids.
The amount of carbon dioxide released is determined by its concentration in the air of the alveoli and the volume of ventilation. Insufficient ventilation leads to an increase in the partial pressure of CO2 in the alveolar air (alveolar hypercapnia) and, accordingly, an increase in the tension of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood (arterial hypercapnia). With hyperventilation, reverse changes occur - alveolar and arterial hypocapnia develops.
Thus, the tension of carbon dioxide in the blood (PaCO2), on the one hand, characterizes the efficiency of gas exchange and the activity of the external respiration apparatus, on the other hand, it is the most important indicator of the acid-base state, its respiratory component.
Respiratory shifts of CBS are most directly involved in the regulation of respiration. The pulmonary compensation mechanism is extremely fast (correction of pH changes is carried out after 1-3 minutes) and very sensitive.
With an increase in PaCO2 from 40 to 60 mm Hg. Art. the minute volume of breath increases from 7 to 65 l/min. But with too much increase in PaCO2 or prolonged existence of hypercapnia, the respiratory center is depressed with a decrease in its sensitivity to CO2.
In a number of pathological conditions, the regulatory mechanisms of CBS (blood buffer systems, respiratory and excretory systems) cannot maintain pH at a constant level. Violations of CBS develop, and depending on which direction the pH shift occurs, acidosis and alkalosis are isolated.
Depending on the cause that caused the pH shift, respiratory (respiratory) and metabolic (metabolic) disorders of the acid-base balance are distinguished: respiratory acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis.
The CBS regulation systems tend to eliminate the changes that have occurred, while respiratory disorders are leveled by metabolic compensation mechanisms, and metabolic disorders are compensated by changes in lung ventilation.

6.1. Indicators of the acid-base state

The acid-base state of the blood is assessed by a set of indicators.
The pH value is the main indicator of CBS. In healthy people, the pH of the arterial blood is 7.40 (7.35-7.45), while the blood has a slightly alkaline reaction. A decrease in the pH value means a shift to the acid side - acidosis (pH< 7,35), увеличение рН - сдвиг в щелочную сторону - алкалоз (рН > 7,45).
The range of pH fluctuations seems small due to the use of a logarithmic scale. However, a difference of one pH means a tenfold change in the concentration of hydrogen ions. pH shifts greater than 0.4 (pH less than 7.0 and greater than 7.8) are considered incompatible with life.
Fluctuations in pH within 7.35-7.45 refer to the zone of full compensation. Changes in pH outside this zone are interpreted as follows:
subcompensated acidosis (pH 7.25-7.35);
decompensated acidosis (pH< 7,25);
subcompensated alkalosis (pH 7.45-7.55);
decompensated alkalosis (pH > 7.55).
PaCO2 (PC02) - the tension of carbon dioxide in arterial blood. Normally, PaCO2 is 40 mm Hg. Art. with fluctuations from 35 to 45 mm Hg. Art. An increase or decrease in PaCO2 is a sign of respiratory disorders.
Alveolar hyperventilation is accompanied by a decrease in PaCO2 (arterial hypocapnia) and respiratory alkalosis, alveolar hypoventilation is accompanied by an increase in PaCO2 (arterial hypercapnia) and respiratory acidosis.
Buffer bases (BB) - the total amount of all blood anions. Since the total amount of buffer bases (in contrast to standard and true bicarbonates) does not depend on CO2 voltage, metabolic disturbances of CBS are judged by the value of BB. Normally, the content of buffer bases is 48.0 ± 2.0 mmol/L.
Excess or deficiency of buffer bases (Base Excess, BE) - deviation of the concentration of buffer bases from the normal level. Normally, the BE indicator is zero, the permissible fluctuation limits are ± 2.3 mmol / l. With an increase in the content of buffer bases, the value of BE becomes positive (excess of bases), with a decrease, it becomes negative (deficit of bases). The value of BE is the most informative indicator of metabolic disorders of the CBS due to the sign (+ or -) before the numerical expression. A base deficiency that goes beyond the limits of normal fluctuations indicates the presence of metabolic acidosis, an excess indicates the presence of metabolic alkalosis.
Standard bicarbonates (SB) - the concentration of bicarbonates in the blood under standard conditions (pH=7.40; PaCO2=40 mmHg; t=37°C; S02=100%).
True (actual) bicarbonates (AB) - the concentration of bicarbonates in the blood under the appropriate specific conditions present in the bloodstream. Standard and true bicarbonates characterize the bicarbonate buffer system of the blood. Normally, the values of SB and AB coincide and are 24.0 ± 2.0 mmol/l. The amount of standard and true bicarbonates decreases with metabolic acidosis and increases with metabolic alkalosis.

6.2. Acid-base disorders

Metabolic (exchange) acidosis develops with the accumulation of non-volatile acids in the blood. It is observed in tissue hypoxia, microcirculation disorders, ketoacidosis in diabetes mellitus, renal and hepatic insufficiency, shock and other pathological conditions. There is a decrease in the pH value, a decrease in the content of buffer bases, standard and true bicarbonates. The BE value has a (-) sign, which indicates a deficiency of buffer bases.
Severe disturbances in electrolyte metabolism, loss of acidic gastric contents (for example, with indomitable vomiting), and excessive consumption of alkaline substances with food can lead to metabolic (exchange) alkalosis. The pH value increases (shift towards alkalosis) - the concentration of BB, SB, AB increases. The value of BE has a sign (+) - an excess of buffer bases.
The cause of acid-base respiratory disorders is inadequate ventilation.
Respiratory (respiratory) alkalosis occurs as a result of voluntary and involuntary hyper-ventilation. In healthy people, it can be observed in high altitude conditions, when running long distances, and with emotional arousal. Shortness of breath in a pulmonary or cardiac patient, when there are no conditions for retaining CO2 in the alveoli, artificial ventilation of the lungs may be accompanied by respiratory alkalosis. It proceeds with an increase in pH, a decrease in PaCO2, a compensatory decrease in the concentration of bicarbonates, buffer bases, and an increase in the deficit of buffer bases.
With severe hypocapnia (PaCO2< 20-25 мм рт. ст.) и респираторном алкалозе могут наступить потеря сознания и судороги. Особенно неблагоприятны гипокапния и респираторный алкалоз в условиях недостатка кислорода (гипоксии). Устойчивость организма к гипоксии при этом резко падает. С этими нарушениями обычно связывают летные происшествия.
Respiratory (respiratory) acidosis develops against the background of hypoventilation, which may be the result of depression of the respiratory center. In severe respiratory failure associated with lung pathology, respiratory acidosis occurs. At the same time, the pH value is shifted towards acidosis, the CO2 tension in the blood is increased.
With a significant (more than 70 mm Hg) and fairly rapid increase in PaCO2 (for example, with asthmatic status), hypercapnic coma may develop. First, there is a headache, a large tremor of the hands, sweating, then mental agitation (euphoria) or drowsiness, confusion, arterial and venous hypertension. Then there are convulsions, loss of consciousness.
Hypercapnia and respiratory acidosis may be the result of a person being in an atmosphere with a high content of carbon dioxide.
In chronically developing respiratory acidosis, along with an increase in PaCO2 and a decrease in pH, a compensatory increase in bicarbonates and buffer bases is observed. The value of BE, as a rule, has a sign (+) - an excess of buffer bases.
Metabolic acidosis can also occur in chronic lung diseases. Its development is associated with an active inflammatory process in the lungs, hypoxemia, and circulatory failure. Metabolic and respiratory acidosis are often combined, resulting in a mixed acidosis.
Primary BBS shifts cannot always be distinguished from compensatory secondary ones. Usually, primary violations of CBS indicators are more pronounced than compensatory ones, and it is the first ones that determine the direction of the pH shift. The correct assessment of primary and compensatory shifts of the CBS is a prerequisite for adequate correction of these disorders. To avoid errors in the interpretation of CBS, it is necessary, along with the assessment of all its components, to take into account Pa02 and the clinical picture of the disease.
Determination of blood pH is carried out electrometrically using a glass electrode sensitive to hydrogen ions.
To determine the tension of carbon dioxide in the blood, the Astrup equilibration technique or the Severinghaus electrode is used. The values characterizing the metabolic components of CBS are calculated using a nomogram.
Arterial blood or arterialized capillary blood from the tip of a warmed finger is examined. The required volume of blood does not exceed 0.1-0.2 ml.
Currently, devices are being produced that determine the pH, CO2 and O2 tension of blood; calculations are made by a microcomputer included in the instrument.

Active environment reaction

The amount of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in pure water is negligible and amounts to 0.0000001 g.
Acids in aqueous solutions dissociate into a hydrogen ion and the corresponding anion:

and the bases - into the hydroxyl ion and the corresponding cation:

BLOOD REACTION

The lungs remove acidic products - carbon dioxide, the kidneys - phosphates and ammonia, the latter mainly after being converted into urea.
Buffering action is understood as the ability of a solution to resist changes in pH, which would have to occur due to the addition of an acid or alkali.
The buffer systems of blood and tissue fluids can maintain a constant pH during the formation of acids and bases released during metabolism.
Of the buffer systems, proteins are of the greatest importance in the body, as well as mineral compounds - bicarbonates and phosphates of sodium and potassium. Buffer blood systems are: caroonate - H2CO3/NaHCO3, phosphate NaH2PO4/NaHPO4 and protein-acid/protein-salt.
In the body, when sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 interacts with phosphoric acid released during the exchange, carbonic acid is formed:

Carbonic acid, being very unstable, quickly decomposes and is excreted from the body together with the exhaled air in the form of water and carbon dioxide. This ensures that the pH of the blood remains constant. Phosphoric acid salts also counteract changes in pH. For example, when lactic acid reacts with disubstituted sodium phosphate, a sodium salt of lactic acid and monosubstituted sodium phosphate are formed:

Ammonia, formed during base exchange, binds with free carbonic acid, resulting in the formation of ammonium bicarbonate:

The most important buffer substance in whole blood is the protein hemoglobin, which, due to its acidic properties, can bind bases and form salts, such as Na-hemoglobin.
The buffering capacity of blood can be shown by the following example: in order to shift the pH of the blood serum to the alkaline side to pH 8.2, you need to add 70 times more alkali than to water, and to shift the pH of the blood to 4.4, you need to add to the blood 327 times more hydrochloric acid than water.

Active reaction - blood

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The active reaction of the blood (pH), due to the ratio of hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl (OH -) ions in it, is one of the rigid parameters of homeostasis, since only at a certain pH is the optimal course of metabolism possible.

An active blood reaction reveals a significant shift to the acid side.

In severe cases, the intensive formation of acidic fat breakdown products and the deamination of amino acids in the liver cause a shift in the active blood reaction to the acid side - acidosis.

Despite the presence of buffer systems and good protection of the body from possible changes in pH, sometimes, under certain conditions, small shifts in the active reaction of the blood are observed. A shift in pH to the acid side is called acidosis, a shift to the alkaline side is called alkalosis.

In a healthy person, the content of chlorides in the blood in terms of sodium chloride is 450 - 550 mg%, in plasma - 690 mg%, in erythrocytes is almost 2 times less than in plasma. Chlorides take part in gas exchange and in the regulation of the active reaction of the blood. Blood chlorides are used to form hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Large reserves of sodium chloride are found in the skin and in the liver. In some pathological conditions of the body (kidney disease, etc.), chlorides are retained in all tissues, and especially in the subcutaneous tissue. Chloride retention is accompanied by water retention and edema formation. In febrile diseases, bronze disease, the content of chlorides in the blood is greatly reduced. A sharp decrease in the content of chlorides in the blood can occur when a large amount of mercury preparations is introduced into the body and serves as a signal of the upcoming mercury poisoning.

Staying in a closed room for 8-10 hours, with a gradual increase in CO2 content to 5-5% and a drop in O2 content to 14-5%, by the end of the experiment led to a sharp increase in pulmonary ventilation (up to 30-35 l), an increase in O2 consumption by 50% (due to the increased work of the respiratory muscles), a shift in the active reaction of the blood to the acidic side, a slowdown or negligible increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, especially the minimum one, a decrease in body temperature by 0 5 (if the ambient temperature does not rise), a drop in physical performance , to a headache and a slight decrease in mental performance.

Stay indoors for 8-10 hours, with a gradual increase in CO2 to 5-5% and a drop in the content of O2 to 14-5%, by the end of the experiment to a sharp increase in pulmonary ventilation (up to 30-35 l), an increase in O2 consumption by 50 % (due to increased respiratory work in an active blood reaction to the acid side, slowing or increasing heart rate, increased blood pressure, especially e, lowering body temperature by 0 5 (if the ambient temperature does not rise), a drop in physical performance, headache and slight decrease in mental performance.

Especially important is the violation of thermoregulation due to an increase in temperature and humidity of the environment Averyanov et al.) - During a 4-hour stay in a hermetically sealed room, in which the CO2 concentration increased gradually from 0 48 to 4 7%, and the O2 content fell from 20 6 to 15-8%, some people complained by the end of the experience of stuffiness, mild headache, there was a decrease in temperature, increased breathing, slowing or increased heart rate. Staying in a closed room for 8-10 hours, with a gradual increase in CO2 content D 55% and a drop in O2 content to 145%, by the end of the experiment led to a sharp increase in pulmonary ventilation (up to 30-35 l), an increase in O2 consumption by 50% (due to the increased work of the respiratory muscles), a shift in the active reaction of the blood to the acidic side, a slowdown or negligible increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, especially the minimum one, a decrease in body temperature by 0 5 (if the ambient temperature does not rise), a drop in physical performance , headache and a slight decrease in mental performance.

Complex physico-chemical processes occur in the blood of a malarik due to the presence of plasmodia. The introduction of Plasmodium into erythrocytes, their swelling, metabolic disorders and other phenomena affect the physical chemistry of blood. Many scientists believe that the active reaction of the blood plays a very significant role in malaria. A shift to the acid side activates the infection, to the alkaline side it slows it down. Negative air ions increase the number of alkali ions in the blood. This should be reflected in the vital functions of Plasmodium. Indeed, it is not due to a shift in the active reaction of the blood that a favorable effect arises when negative air ions are used to treat malaria.

Starting from 4 - 5%, and with a slow increase in the COA content in the air, at higher concentrations (-8% and above), there is a feeling of irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, coughing, a feeling of warmth in the chest, irritation of the eyes, puffiness, a feeling of squeezing the head , headaches, tinnitus, increased blood pressure (especially in hypertensive patients), palpitations, mental agitation, dizziness, rarely vomiting.

Active blood reaction (pH)

The number of breaths in 1 min. COa up to 8% does not increase significantly; at higher concentrations, breathing quickens. In the transition to the inhalation of normal air - often nausea and vomiting. According to foreign data, the test persons voluntarily maintained a concentration of 6% for up to 22 minutes, 10 4% - no more than 0 5 minutes. Staying in a closed room for 8–10 hours, with a gradual increase in CO2 content to 5–5% and a drop in O2 content to 14–5%, by the end of the experiment led to a sharp increase in pulmonary ventilation (up to 30–35 l), an increase in O2 consumption by 50% (due to increased work of the respiratory muscles), a shift in the active reaction of the blood to the acid side, a slowdown or an insignificant increase in the pulse, an increase in blood pressure, especially the minimum one, a decrease in body temperature by 0 5 (if the ambient temperature does not rise), a drop in physical performance , headache and a slight decrease in mental performance, an increase in the rate of increase in the concentration of CO2 with the same final content aggravated the human condition.

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The active reaction of the blood, due to the concentration of hydrogen (H ') and hydroxyl (OH ') ions in it, is of extremely important biological significance, since metabolic processes proceed normally only with a certain reaction.

The blood is slightly alkaline. The index of active reaction (pH) of arterial blood is equal to 7.4; The pH of venous blood due to the higher content of carbon dioxide in it is 7.35. Inside the cells, the pH is somewhat lower and equal to 7 - 7.2, which depends on the metabolism of the cells and the formation of acidic metabolic products in them.

The active reaction of the blood is kept in the body at a relatively constant level, which is explained by the buffer properties of plasma and erythrocytes, as well as the activity of the excretory organs.

Buffer properties are inherent in solutions containing a weak (i.e., slightly dissociated) acid and its salt formed by a strong base. The addition of a strong acid or alkali to such a solution does not cause as much a shift towards acidity or alkalinity as if the same amount of acid or alkali were added to water. This is because the added strong acid displaces the weak acid from its compounds with bases. In solution, a weak acid and a salt of a strong acid are formed. The buffer solution thus prevents the active reaction from shifting. When a strong alkali is added to the buffer solution, a salt of a weak acid and water are formed, as a result of which the possible shift of the active reaction to the alkaline side is reduced.

The buffer properties of blood are due to the fact that it contains the following substances that form the so-called buffer systems: 1) carbonic acid - sodium bicarbonate (carbonate buffer system) -, 2) monobasic - dibasic sodium phosphate (phosphate buffer system), 3) plasma proteins (buffer system of plasma proteins) - proteins, being ampholytes, are able to split off both hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, depending on the reaction of the environment; 4) hemoglobin - potassium salt of hemoglobin (hemoglobin buffer system). The buffer properties of the blood coloring matter - hemoglobin - are due to the fact that, being an acid weaker than H 2 CO 3, it gives potassium ions to it, and itself, by adding H '-ions, becomes a very weakly dissociating acid. Approximately 75% of the buffering capacity of the blood is due to hemoglobin. Carbonate and phosphate buffer systems are of less importance for maintaining the constancy of the active reaction of the blood.

Buffer systems are also present in tissues, due to which the pH of tissues is able to remain at a relatively constant level.

Blood reaction and maintenance of its constancy

The main tissue buffers are proteins and phosphates. Due to the presence of buffer systems, carbon dioxide, lactic, phosphoric and other acids formed in cells during metabolic processes, passing from tissues into the blood, usually do not cause significant changes in its active reaction.

A characteristic property of blood buffer systems is an easier shift of the reaction to the alkaline side than to the acid side. So, to shift the reaction of blood plasma to the alkaline side, it is necessary to add 40-70 times more sodium hydroxide to it than to pure water. In order to cause a shift in its reaction to the acid side, it is necessary to add 327 times more hydrochloric acid to it than to water. Alkaline salts of weak acids contained in the blood form the so-called alkaline reserve of blood. The value of the latter can be determined by the number of cubic centimeters of carbon dioxide that can be bound by 100 ml of blood at a carbon dioxide pressure of 40 mm Hg. Art., i.e., approximately corresponding to the usual pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveolar air.

Since there is a certain and fairly constant ratio between acid and alkaline equivalents in the blood, it is customary to talk about the acid-base balance of the blood.

Through experiments on warm-blooded animals, as well as clinical observations, extreme, life-compatible limits for changes in blood pH have been established. Apparently, such extreme limits are the values of 7.0-7.8. A shift in pH beyond these limits leads to severe disturbances and can lead to death. A long-term shift in pH in humans, even by 0.1-0.2 compared to the norm, can be disastrous for the body.

Despite the presence of buffer systems and good protection of the body from possible changes in the active reaction of the blood, shifts towards an increase in its acidity or alkalinity are still sometimes observed under certain conditions, both physiological and especially pathological. The shift of the active reaction to the acid side is called acidosis, the shift to the alkaline side is called alkalosis.

Distinguish between compensated and uncompensated acidosis and compensated and uncompensated alkalosis. With uncompensated acidosis or alkalosis, there is a real shift in the active reaction to the acidic or alkaline side. This occurs as a result of the exhaustion of the body's regulatory adaptations, that is, when the buffering properties of the blood are insufficient to prevent a change in the reaction. With compensated acidosis or alkalosis, which are observed more often than uncompensated ones, there is no shift in the active reaction, but the buffering capacity of blood and tissues decreases. A decrease in the buffering capacity of blood and tissues creates a real danger of the transition of compensated forms of acidosis or alkalosis into uncompensated ones.

Acidosis can occur, for example, due to an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the blood or due to a decrease in the alkaline reserve. The first type of acidosis, gas acidosis, occurs when carbon dioxide is difficult to expel from the lungs, for example, in pulmonary diseases. The second type of acidosis is non-gas, it occurs when an excessive amount of acids is formed in the body, for example, in diabetes, in kidney diseases. Alkalosis can also be gaseous (increased release of CO 3) and non-gaseous (increase in reserve alkalinity).

Changes in the alkaline reserve of blood and minor changes in its active reaction always occur in the capillaries of the systemic and pulmonary circulation. Thus, the entry of a large amount of carbon dioxide into the blood of tissue capillaries causes acidification of venous blood by 0.01-0.04 pH compared to arterial blood. The opposite shift of the active reaction of the blood to the alkaline side occurs in the pulmonary capillaries as a result of the transition of carbon dioxide into the alveolar air.

In maintaining the constancy of the reaction of the blood, the activity of the respiratory apparatus is of great importance, which ensures the removal of excess carbon dioxide by increasing ventilation of the lungs. An important role in maintaining the blood reaction at a constant level also belongs to the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract, which excrete an excess of both acids and alkalis from the body.

When the active reaction shifts to the acid side, the kidneys excrete increased amounts of acid monobasic sodium phosphate in the urine, and when the shift to the alkaline side, significant amounts of alkaline salts are excreted in the urine: dibasic phosphate and sodium bicarbonate. In the first case, the urine becomes sharply acidic, and in the second - alkaline (urine pH under normal conditions is 4.7-6.5, and in violation of the acid-base balance it can reach 4.5 and 8.5).

The excretion of a relatively small amount of lactic acid is also carried out by the sweat glands.

pH or acidity of the tumor tissue

Classical works of O. Warburg in the 1920s it was shown that tumor cells rapidly convert glucose into lactic acid even in the presence of oxygen. Based on evidence of excess lactic acid production, many investigators have assumed for decades that tumors are "acidic". However, the nuances of tumor tissue pH values and the significance of acidity for neoplasm growth have become better understood over the past two decades due to techniques that measure the intra- and extracellular pH (pHi and pHe) of dense tissues.

BLOOD REACTION

In many works It has been established that the pH of tumor cells is neutral, up to alkaline, under conditions in which tumors are not deprived of oxygen and energy.

In tumor cells, there are effective mechanisms for the excretion of protons into the extracellular space, which in tumors represents the "acidic" compartment. Therefore, in neoplasms, there is a pH gradient on the cell membrane: pH > pHe. Interestingly, this gradient is "reversed" in normal tissues where the pH is lower than the pH.

As already stated, tumor cells intensely break down glucose to lactic acid (in addition to oxidizing glucose). However, there is no particular reason to attribute specificity to malignant growth to aerobic glycolysis, although an increased capacity for glycolysis is still a key feature of neoplasms. Other significant pathogenetic mechanisms leading to pronounced tissue acidosis are based on the stimulation of ATP hydrolysis, glutaminolysis, ketogenesis, and the production of CO2 and carbonic acid.

Education of one only lactic acid cannot explain the presence of acidosis, which is noted in the extracellular space of tumors. Other mechanisms may also play an important role in the formation of the acidic extracellular compartment of tumor tissue. This assumption is supported by the experimental data of K. Newell et al., who suggested that the formation of lactic acid is not the only reason for the acidity of the tumor tissue. It should be noted that these results were obtained in experiments with cells deficient in glycolysis.

pH values, obtained with invasive electrodes (potentiometric pH measurement), mainly reflect the acid-base status of the extracellular space (pHe), which is approximately 45% of the total tissue volume in malignant tumors.

This is in marked contrast to normal tissues, where the average extracellular compartment is only about 16%. The pH values measured in malignant neoplasms are shifted to more acidic values compared to normal tissues (0.2-0.5). In some tumors, the pH may even be below 5.6.

There is a noticeable variability of measured values between different tumors, which exceeds the heterogeneity observed in tumors. Intratumoral heterogeneity of pH in human tumors using pH electrodes has not been studied in sufficient detail, as was done in experiments with animal tumors. Since the distribution of lactic acid in tumors is quite heterogeneous, one should also expect a noticeable heterogeneity in the distribution of pH values within different microscopic areas.

Heterogeneity of intratumoral pH especially evident in partially necrotic tumors, where tissue pH is even higher than arterial blood pH, which can be observed in areas of old necrosis. This pH shift is mainly caused by the binding of protons during protein denaturation, the accumulation of ammonia, which is formed during the catabolism of peptides and proteins, and the cessation of the formation of protons in energy metabolism reactions.

Table of contents of the topic "Intracellular and extracellular pH of tumor tissue":
1. Changes in gene expression by tumors during hypoxia
2. Hypoxia-induced changes in the genome and clonal selection
3. pH or acidity of the tumor tissue
4. Tumor intracellular acidity and pH gradient in tumor tissue
5. Bicarbonate and Respiratory Depletion of the Extracellular Compartment of Tumors

Solutions and liquids in relation to their acidity. An indicator of the water-salt balance in the tissues and blood of the body is the pH factor. Acidification of the body, increased alkali content in the body (alkalosis). The concentration of buffer systems. Protection against peroxidation.

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Body fluids

The internal environment of the body. The blood system. Fundamentals of hematopoiesis. Physical and chemical properties of blood, plasma composition. Erythrocyte resistance. Blood groups and Rh factor. Rules for blood transfusion. The number, types and functions of leukocytes. fibrinolysis system.

lecture, added 07/30/2013

Physiology of blood

Active blood reaction (pH)

The volume of circulating blood, the content of substances in its plasma. Plasma proteins and their functions. Types of blood pressure. Regulation of blood pH constancy.

presentation, added 08/29/2013

Blood as the internal environment of the body

The main functions of blood, its physiological significance, composition. Physical and chemical properties of plasma. Blood proteins, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, leukocytes.

Blood groups and Rh factor. Hematopoiesis and regulation of the blood system, hemostasis. Formation of lymph, its role.

term paper, added 03/06/2011

Blood system

The concept of the internal environment of the body. Ensuring a certain level of excitability of cellular structures. The constancy of the composition and properties of the internal environment, homeostasis and homeokinesis. Functions, constants and blood composition. The volume of blood circulating in the body.

presentation, added 01/26/2014

The cellular composition of the blood. hematopoiesis

The volume of blood in the body of an adult healthy person. Relative density of blood and blood plasma. The process of formation of blood cells. Embryonic and postembryonic hematopoiesis. The main functions of the blood. Erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes.

presentation, added 12/22/2013

Circulatory system

The concept of the internal environment of the body. Functions of blood, its quantity and physico-chemical properties. Formed elements of blood. Blood clotting, vessel damage. Blood groups, circulatory system, systemic and pulmonary circulation, blood transfusion.

tutorial, added 03/24/2010

Physiology of blood and circulation

The internal environment of a person and the stability of all body functions. Reflex and neurohumoral self-regulation. The amount of blood in an adult. The value of plasma proteins. Osmotic and oncotic pressure. Formed elements of blood.

lecture, added 09/25/2013

The kidneys and the circulation of fluids in the human body

The functions of the kidneys are to filter, clean and balance the blood and other body fluids. Formation of urine by filtering the blood. The structure of the kidneys, capillary nodes and capsules. Reabsorption of water and nutrients. Violation of the kidneys.

abstract, added 07/14/2009

Chemical elements in the human and animal body

The main chemical elements responsible for the viability of the organism, characteristics, degree of influence. The participation of elements in the reactions of the body, the consequences of their deficiency, excess. The concept and types of poisonous elements for the body. The chemical composition of blood.

abstract, added 05/13/2009

Buffer systems

Acid-base buffer systems and solutions. Classification of acid-base buffer systems. Buffer mechanism. Acid-base balance and the main buffer systems in the human body.

The active reaction of the blood, due to the concentration of hydrogen (H ") and hydroxyl (OH") ions in it, is of extremely important biological significance, since metabolic processes proceed normally only with a certain reaction.

The buffer properties of blood are due to the fact that it contains the following substances that form the so-called buffer systems: 1) carbonic acid - sodium bicarbonate (carbonate buffer system) -, 2) monobasic - dibasic sodium phosphate (phosphate buffer system), 3) plasma proteins (buffer system of plasma proteins) - proteins, being ampholytes, are able to split off both hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, depending on the reaction of the environment; 4) hemoglobin - potassium salt of hemoglobin (hemoglobin buffer system). The buffer properties of the blood coloring matter - hemoglobin - are due to the fact that, being an acid weaker than H 2 CO 3, it gives potassium ions to it, and itself, by attaching H "-ions, becomes a very weakly dissociating acid. Approximately 75% of the buffer capacity blood is due to hemoglobin.Carbonate and phosphate buffer systems are of less importance for maintaining the constancy of the active reaction of the blood.

Buffer systems are also present in tissues, due to which the pH of tissues is able to remain at a relatively constant level. The main tissue buffers are proteins and phosphates. Due to the presence of buffer systems, carbon dioxide, lactic, phosphoric and other acids formed in cells during metabolic processes, passing from tissues into the blood, usually do not cause significant changes in its active reaction.

Since there is a certain and fairly constant ratio between acid and alkaline equivalents in the blood, it is customary to talk about the acid-base balance of the blood.

The excretion of a relatively small amount of lactic acid is also carried out by the sweat glands.

Active reaction environments. It is due to the presence of H + and OH - ions in water. As is known, some water molecules dissociate into these ions, and the product of their concentrations is a constant value, numerically equal at 25°C to 10 -14 g-ions in 1 dm 3 of water.

Figure 6 - Scheme of the cycle of matter in the ocean (according to)

In the case when the concentrations of H + and OH ions are equal (each of them is contained in an amount of 10 -7 g-ions / dm 3), water neutral. With an increase in the content of H + and OH ions - more than 10 -7 g-ions / dm 3, water will, respectively sour or alkaline.

Usually, not the concentration of H + is taken as an indicator of an active reaction, but its decimal logarithm with the opposite sign. This value is called hydrogen indicator and is denoted by the symbol pH. If the pH is less than 7 - the water is acidic, more than 7 - alkaline, for neutral water the pH is 7.

The active reaction of natural waters is quite stable, because they are a highly buffered system due to the presence of carbonates. In the absence of carbonates, the pH of the water may decrease. During intensive photosynthesis, pH can rise to 10 or more due to the almost complete disappearance of carbon dioxide from the water.

In marine waters, the pH is usually 8.1-8. Natural waters with a pH of 3.4 to 6.5 are called sour , with pH from 6.5 to 7.5 - neutral , with a pH of 7.5 to 10 and above - alkaline .

In the same reservoir, pH can fluctuate by 2 units or more during the day: at night, pH decreases as a result of water acidification by carbon dioxide released during respiration, and during the day it rises due to the consumption of carbon dioxide by photosynthetic plants. In the soils of lakes and swamps, the pH is usually slightly lower than 7; in oceanic sediments, it is often somewhat shifted to the alkaline side.

In relation to different concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, hydrobionts are divided into:

eurionic that withstand large changes in pH;

stenionic living in waters with slight pH fluctuations. Among the stenionic are distinguished acidophilic(prefer acidic waters) alkaliphilic(live in alkaline waters).

The ecological effect of pH is associated with a change in the permeability of the outer membranes of cells, the effect on water-salt metabolism, the boundaries of distribution and the nature of the vital activity of aquatic organisms.

redox potential. It characterizes the conditions for the occurrence of oxidation and reduction processes in the environment.

As a result of the interaction of two substances, a redox reaction can occur, leading to the appearance of an electrical potential difference between them - Еh, or redoxy potential . The value of Eh is usually measured in millivolts ( mV). It is the higher, the greater the ratio of the concentration of components capable of oxidation to the concentration of components that can be restored.

The concentration of the oxidized form of hydrogen (H +) is characterized by the pH value, the concentration of the reduced form of hydrogen is expressed by the indicator rH(or rH 2 ), which is the logarithm of the pressure of molecular hydrogen, taken with the opposite sign. The smaller the value of rH, the higher the reducing ability of the medium. Thus, the redox properties of the medium can be characterized both by the value of the redox potential Eh and by conventional units rH, indicating the concentration of molecular hydrogen capable of creating these redox conditions. The higher the redox potential, the higher the oxidative capacity of the medium and the higher the value of r, i.e. lower is the concentration of molecular hydrogen required to create redox conditions.

The relationship between Eh, rH and pH is expressed as:

Eh=0.029 (rH-2pH).

The water of sea and fresh water bodies containing a significant amount of oxygen has a positive Eh=300-350 mV, i.e. is an oxidized medium, and in it the value of rH=35-40. In the bottom layers of water, the oxygen content decreases, Eh becomes negative, rH drops to 15-12.

The value of the redox potential affects the rate of hydrogen sulfide oxidation by sulfur bacteria and the behavior of aquatic organisms.

Certain properties of water in different parts of water bodies, watercourses are manifested to a different extent. The penetration of light, the movement of water, the temperature regime, the oxygen balance, etc. show that in different parts of the reservoirs, the properties of water are not equally manifested.

It is often assumed that pHmeasures the acidity of water. This is not true: the value pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in water. By value pH judging acidic water, neutral or alkaline. But the acidity and alkalinity of water are different concepts. Keeping fish in water with an inappropriate pH can lead to acidosis (if the water is too acidic) or alkalosis (if the water is too alkaline).

Often, without knowledge of the pH value, it is impossible to diagnose sick fish, it is impossible to correctly apply drugs, it is impossible to establish water biofiltration processes and restore lost in aquarium.

Of all the arts for the aquarist, the most important is the art of measuring pH!!! - One of the authors of this material is Elena Kovaleva (moderator), never ceases to repeat this over and over again to all novice aquarists.

Unfortunately, not everyone believes in the word, stating: "Why bother with tests? My father (mother) kept an aquarium for many years, he never measured anything, but the fish lived, and even bred, how! And in general, our water is clean, transparent!And only when "unsolvable" aquarium problems begin to grow like an avalanche, and sad fish funerals become a common and almost daily practice for such an "amateur", he begins to gradually master aquarium hydrochemistry.

Photo 1. All crayfish: both large (zebra - above), and small (dwarf Mexican - below) do not like acidic water. Soft water really sours quickly (the pH of the water drops when nitrification processes are intense in the aquarium). Pieces of porous limestone (for example, calcareous tuff) quite effectively alkalize soft St. Petersburg water - they stabilize the pH values. If you decide to keep crayfish and crabs, be sure to learn how to control the pH in your aquarium.

Photo 2. The orange dwarf (Cambarellus patzcuarensis "orange") does not like low pH values.

Video 1. In optimal conditions for themselves, Mexican dwarf crayfish are lively and determined creatures: "Shoot out of here! This is my mink!" We recommend starting.

So, in order to successfully keep many interesting inhabitants of the aquarium, you need to learn how to control the pH value. To do this, you first need to measure the pH. And measuring the active reaction of water (in other words, the pH indicator) is not easy, but very simple! There is for this. They are produced by many companies, recently also domestic ones (they are quite inexpensive from NILPA). All of them allow you to determine the pH value very quickly with sufficient accuracy for an amateur aquarist. To do this, you just need to add one or two drops of a special indicator to the water sample and then compare the color of the sample with the corresponding color scale. Which pH tests are most convenient and best to use, and what important details you need to know are described in.
Except in special cases, water with an active reaction of 6.4-8.3 can be considered suitable for aquarium purposes in freshwater aquariums. Higher values within the indicated range (slightly alkaline water) are preferred by fish from the African Great Lakes, lower values (acidic water) are preferred by fish from the Amazon basin and reservoirs of the tropical rainforests of Africa and Asia. However, many fish that live in acidic water in the wild are able to live in more alkaline water in an aquarium. For example, neon and angelfish from the Amazon are fine with water that reaches a pH value of 8. It is only important to avoid sharp fluctuations in the pH value. And what can be considered a sharp fluctuation? When answering this question, one must keep in mind that, in essence, the pH indicator reflects the content of hydrogen ions in water, and this indicator is logarithmic. Therefore, its change by one unit corresponds to a change in the concentration of these ions by 10 times. So such a seemingly insignificant - just by one - change in the active reaction of water can cause stress in fish. Fast (10 - 20 minutes) pH changeby 2 units with a high probability will lead to irreversible changes in the gills of fish and their gradual destruction. Having experienced such a trouble, the fish may die, and sometimes this does not happen immediately, but after a few days.
pH value can be extremely mobile and change noticeably in the aquarium during the day if this aquarium, or the water in the aquarium, blooms. In addition, the values of the active reaction of freshly poured from the tap, settled and aquarium water can differ greatly from each other. That's why once measured value pHwater taken from the tap, it cannot be considered that this value is once and for all established for your entire aquarium business. We specifically emphasize this circumstance, since more than once we met people who acted in this way. These fluctuations are especially noticeable in soft water with negligible . Such water, for example, flows from taps in most areas of St. Petersburg. If you immediately measure its active reaction, then you get values close to 6.2-6.4. After settling for several days, the pH valuesusually grow to 7.0-7.2. In an aquarium with granite or basalt (not "") soil, soft St. Petersburg water gradually becomes more and more acidic. If you don’t do it in an aquarium with such water, then after a month you can get values \u200b\u200bof the order of 5.0-5.5. At the same time, the water remains, as they say, "clean and transparent", and the fish ... they may well survive (unless they are Malawian and Tangan cichlids and viviparous). Some decline in the fish population (it is clear that in such conditions it is inevitable), the unlucky amateur aquarist soon decides to replenish at the nearest pet store. He buys the same species of fish he already has, then hurries home and pours the contents of the shipping bag into the aquarium. A terrible thing happens ... Once in a new place, the fish immediatelypursing fins, then they begin to rush around the aquarium, flinch convulsively, try to jump out of it, and soon die in convulsions. The aquarist is dissatisfied: he was obviously sold some defective fish. He puts them back in the bag, just in case (suddenly come to life?) Pours water from the aquarium into it and takes it back to the store. We are not telling a hypothetical story, but a story that happened in real life, so we know how the seller behaved. He tested the brought water and explained to the novice aquarist what was the matter. The water in his aquarium is very acidic. Advice was given to buy and put calcareous tuff in the aquarium (the main component of this porous stone is calcium carbonate, which gradually dissolves and alkalizes the water; pieces of calcareous tufa are shown in photos 1 and 2 at the beginning of this article), a little every other day and of course regularly measure pH. The active reaction of the water returned to normal within the next week and in the future this aquarist - now by no means a novice, successfully kept many fish, including capricious ones, in his aquarium.
But in fact, is it possible to immediately move new fish from the bag to the aquarium? Even if you have made sure that the active reaction of the water in your aquarium and in the bag for transporting fish are very close to each other, then you still should not do this. In terms of its chemical composition (), water can vary significantly and then a simple fish transplant (without a procedure) cause her to have a strong stress response (although it probably won't kill her). Such fish may become ill in the future, for example, ichthyophthyroidism. If pH and the temperature of the water in the aquarium and the water in which the fish was transported differ slightly from each other (pH by no more than 0.5 units), the time that needs to be spent on transferring the fish will be small - about 15 minutes. But if the indicators of the active reaction of water initially differed by a whole unit or more, then the transfer rate should be noticeably slower. To transfer fish from water with pH=6.0 into water with pH =7.0 will take at least half an hour, and for sensitive species this process will take even longer.

Fish acidosis and its symptoms

With prolonged content in water that is excessively acidic for this type of water, a pathological condition (disease) develops in fish - acidosis.

The symptoms of acidosis are:

The fish become lethargic, refuse to feed, their color darkens, they swim with tucked-in fins, freeze for a long time in thickets of plants or in secluded corners of the aquarium near the bottom. They die there. The mouth and gill covers of dead fish are tightly closed, and the body is often bent. The skin of still living fish is covered with a whitish thick mucus, the gills become brownish from the edges. Fish experience constant oxygen starvation, but breathe slowly, with difficulty (On why, with acidosis, the body of the fish does not have enough oxygen to eat). Fish may scratch themselves on plants and rocks on the bottom. They may startle suddenly and cough violently. Naturally, in this state, your pets will not live long. With not too much chronic decrease in pH, all these symptoms are barely noticeable, butjuveniles often develop scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and the gill covers are deformed or shortened,in male guppies, their luxurious tails do not grow well or split and wear out. Fish living in water that is too acidic for themselves, or unexpectedly found themselves in such, often get sick. chilodonellosis, gyrodactylosis, mycobacteriosis.

Photo 3. Signs of acidosis in Chinese red crucian carp (original form). The arrows indicate the accumulation of thick white mucus on the snout of the fish, the white "dots" on the body are also lumps of mucus, in addition, white mucus ridges are visible under the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin is lowered, the other fins are drawn in.

What to do if you find acidosis in your fish?

Start slowly raising the pH of the water. To do this, you need to start (make sure that the water prepared for the change is more alkaline!). You can change 10 - 20% of the total volume of water in the aquarium at a time, without allowing a sharp jump in pH up. Changes should be done every day (maybe twice a day with an interval of 6-8 hours) until the pH reaches the desired level. In addition, to combat acidosis, you can use (currently they are not expensive, as they began to be produced in Russia) or ordinary baking soda, gradually (no more than half a teaspoon for every 50 liters of water) introducing it into the aquarium. Soda must first be dissolved in a small volume (for example, in a glass) of warm water and pour the solution into the aquarium gradually over half an hour. At this time, the aeration of the aquarium should be made as strong as possible. Within 4 hours, you can raise the pH value by one unit.
If during the maintenance, under unfavorable conditions, the fish did not get sick with anything, then they will not need special treatment, but the introduction of tannins into the water (a decoction of oak bark,), pimafix () and. smooth rise calcium hardness of water by 2 - 4 ° GH will also improve the functional state of the fish.

Alkalosis and its symptoms

When keeping fish in too alkaline water, they begin to suffer from alkalosis. In this case, the body of the fish, as well as in acidosis, is covered with mucus, but this mucus is not viscous, on the contrary, it turns out to be liquefied and easily drains or is washed off from dead or dying fish. The surface of the body of fish becomes dull, they swim with splayed fins and gill covers, breathing is rapid. Perhaps a strong expansion of blood vessels, focal hemorrhages and even bleeding from the gills. The interradial membranes of the fish are destroyed and their fins look filamentous, in many species the cornea of the eyes begins to become cloudy.

What to do if you find alkalosis in your fish?

Treat alkalosis by gradually lowering the pH of the water. For this, special (pH-), hydrochloric, sulfuric and phosphoric acids are used. As in the case of acidosis, multivitamins and tannins will help the fish, as well as maintaining sufficient calcium hardness of the water ( but not carbonate! ).
Keeping fish in alkaline water contributes to the development of a dangerous disease in them.
Acute alkalosis can develop in fish within a few hours in a densely planted and very well lit aquarium with soft water. Why this happens is discussed in anotherarticle .
You can find out about modern means of stabilizing the pH of water in an aquarium at.
We think that the reader has no doubts about whether the aquarist needs to know the pH value in his aquarium. Necessary!!! And about which test to determine the pH is better to buy and how to measure it is described in the article "