Inorganic Compounds

What does the pH scale range from?

0 to 14

What makes water so important?

1. It has high heat capacity 2. It has high heat of vaporization 3. It has polar solvent properties 4. Its reactivity

Water makes up __% of the volume of most living cells.

60 to 80%

What is a base? (the chemistry definition)

A base has a bitter taste, feels slippery

For our purposes in A and P, what is a base?

A base is a proton acceptor. They take up H+ ions and give off OH- ions.

What is a salt?

A salt is an ionic compound containing cations other than H+ and anions other than OH-

What is the acid-base balance?

A type of homeostasis; when the body works to have our acids and bases at a balance.

What is the formula that will also help you remember the four inorganic compounds? What is another name for this?

Acid + Base → Salt + Water This is called the neutralization formula.

What is a way to remember which way bases or acids go on the pH scale?

Acids (A), bases (B)... just remember the alphabet, (A...B)

What is an acid? (the chemistry definition)

Acids are sour in taste, can react (dissolve in) with many metals, and burns a whole through your rug.

What are the four basic compounds?

Acids, Bases, Salts, and Water

For anatomy and physiology purposes, what is an acid?

An acid is a substance that gives off/releases hydrogen ions (H+). They are proton donors.

What can happen if the acid-base balance is disturbed?

Any of our major organs can be affected and it can be fatal, causing death.

Why can vomiting upset your pH balance?

Because when we vomit we throw up all of our stomach acid. Our stomach acid can tolerate HCl acid but our throats and other organs cannot that's why there is a burning sensation in our throats after we throw up.

What is acidosis?

Blood has too much acid or too little base, resulting in a decrease in blood pH (lower than 7.35)

What is alkalosis?

Blood has too much base or too little acid, resulting in an increase in blood pH (higher than 7.45)

In general, all inorganics do not contain carbon except which two?

CO and CO2

What is the fluid-electrolyte balance?

Electrolytes are in your blood, urine, and body fluids. Maintaining the right balance of electrolytes helps your body's blood chemistry and other processes. Sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, phosphate, and magnesium are electrolytes.

True or false. Electrolytes do not have to be in a particular arrangement to receive a signal.

False; they do

What is HCl?

Hydrochloric Acid (stomach acid) and is a common acid

What is a common base?

Hydroxides (i.e., magnesium hydroxide: milk of magnesium AND sodium hydroxide: Iye)

What is a strong acid?

It completely dissociates (completely dissolves in a substance)

What is a buffer system?

It guards against sudden shifts in acidity and alkalinity. It is basically a combination of the body's own weak acids and weak bases.. buffers work by adjusting the proportions of acid and base.

What is an inorganic compound?

It is a compound that does NOT contain a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom.

What does it mean to have good reactivity? (referring to water)

It is an important reactant (foods are broken down to their building blocks by adding a water molecule to each bond to be broken; it also protects organs from physical trauma (i.e., amniotic fluid in a pregnant woman)

Problems occur often with which electrolytes?

Sodium, Potassium, or Calcium

Which mechanisms does the body use to control the acidity-alkalinity balance?

The lungs release CO2 (when we exhale) and everytime this happens our breathing is controlled. The kidneys cleanses our urine and makes it more acidic. Buffer systems are also used.

What do kidneys do?

They filter out nitrogenous waste (protein + nucleic acid breakdown)

When acids dissolve in water, what happens?

They release H+ ions and anions

What does it mean to have high heat capacity?

To absorb and release large amounts of heat before changing appreciably in temperature itself (simply put, it regulates body temperature)

What are the functions of salts?

To conduct an electrical current in solutions (electrolyte)

What is the most abundant and important inorganic compound in living material?

Water

What is an anion?

a negatively charged ion

What is a cation?

a positively charged ion

an ionic compound containing cations other than H+ and anions other than OH-

a salt

What is another word for base?

alkalinity

What are common bases found in our bodies?

bicarbonate ion (pancreas) and ammonia (NH3...kidneys)

What does it mean to have polar solvent properties?

can dissolve many things

Salts also function as __ needed to make a reaction proceed (or finish)

coenzyme

What does it mean to ionize a substance?

convert it into an ion or ions; an atom or molecule acquires a - or + by gaining or losing electrons to form ions

When salts are dissolved in water, they do what?

dissociate into their component ions. I.e, Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) dissociates into Na+ and SO4 2-

What is a weak base?

does not ionize fully (low pH normally)

Levels of __ in your body can become too high or too low. This can happen when the amount of water in your body changes, causing dehydration or overhydration. What causes this?

electrolytes; some medicines, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, and/or kidney problems.

Electrolytes contribute to what?

hardness of bones and teeth; bones and teeth are storage sites.

What is a strong base?

it completely ionizes and dissociates into a cation and OH- (hydroxide ion)

The lower/higher the pH number, the more/less acidic (more H+) The higher/lower the pH number, the more/less basic (more OH-)

lower; more higher; more

How is acidity and alkalinity indicated or measured?

on the pH scale (the H stands for Hydrogen)

What is a weak acid?

partly dissociates (doesn't completely dissolve in a substance)

On the pH scale, where are the bases? acids? What is neutral?

ranges from 0 (strong acids) to 14 (strong bases).. 7 is neutral. Blood is neutral.. it has a pH of 7.35 to 7.45

What does it mean to have high heat vaporization?

to change from liquid to gas; this is especially important when we sweat because perspiration (mostly water) evaporates from our skin and large amounts of heat are removed from the body, causing cooling effects.

Are all ions electrolytes?

yes