Acidosis and Alkalosis MADE EASY

Summary

This educational script discusses the concepts of acidosis and alkalosis, explaining how blood pH levels determine if the blood is too acidic or basic. It clarifies the difference between respiratory and metabolic types, emphasizing the importance of the body's pH balance, which should be between 7.35 and 7.45. The script delves into the chemical reactions involving carbon dioxide and water that lead to respiratory acidosis or alkalosis, and contrasts these with metabolic imbalances that affect bicarbonate and hydrogen ion concentrations, resulting in metabolic acidosis or alkalosis.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Normal blood pH range is between 7.35 and 7.45.
• 🌡️ A pH below 7.35 indicates acidosis, while a pH above 7.45 indicates alkalosis.
• 💧 The pH measurement reflects the concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood.
• 🌬️ Respiratory acidosis is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide, leading to the production of carbonic acid and hydrogen ions.
• 🌀 Respiratory alkalosis results from a decrease in carbon dioxide, reducing the formation of carbonic acid and hydrogen ions.
• 🧠 Metabolic acidosis occurs when there's an increase in hydrogen ions or a decrease in bicarbonate ions.
• 🔄 Metabolic alkalosis happens when there's an overproduction of bicarbonate ions or a deficiency in hydrogen ions.
• 🔄 In respiratory acidosis, the body compensates by exhaling carbon dioxide to reduce acidity.
• 🔄 In metabolic acidosis, the body may compensate by retaining bicarbonate to neutralize excess hydrogen ions.
• 📉 A decrease in bicarbonate levels and a drop in pH are indicative of uncompensated metabolic acidosis.

Q & A

What is the normal pH range of blood?

The normal pH range of blood is between 7.35 and 7.45.

What happens to the blood pH in acidosis and alkalosis?

In acidosis, the blood pH drops below 7.35, making it more acidic. In alkalosis, the blood pH rises above 7.45, making it more basic.

What does the 'pH' in blood pH stand for?

The 'pH' in blood pH stands for the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the blood.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Understanding Acidosis and Alkalosis

This paragraph introduces the concept of acidosis and alkalosis, which are conditions where the blood pH deviates from its normal range of 7.35 to 7.45. Acidosis occurs when the pH is below this range, indicating increased acidity, while alkalosis is when the pH is above, indicating increased basicity. The script explains that these conditions can be respiratory or metabolic in nature, and it sets the stage for a deeper exploration of what causes respiratory-based versus metabolic-based acidosis and alkalosis.

05:01

🌪️ Respiratory and Metabolic Causes of Acidosis and Alkalosis

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis. It explains the chemical process behind respiratory acidosis, where increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) lead to the formation of carbonic acid, which in turn produces hydrogen ions, causing the blood to become more acidic and the pH to drop. Conversely, respiratory alkalosis is characterized by a decrease in CO2, leading to fewer hydrogen ions and a higher pH. Metabolic acidosis involves either an increase in hydrogen ions or a decrease in bicarbonate ions, resulting in a lower pH, while metabolic alkalosis is marked by an excess of bicarbonate ions or a deficiency in hydrogen ions, causing the pH to rise. The paragraph provides a clear distinction between the respiratory and metabolic aspects of these conditions.

Keywords

💡Acidosis

Acidosis refers to a condition where the blood is more acidic than normal, with a pH level below the normal range of 7.35 to 7.45. In the video, it is explained as a state that can occur due to an increase in hydrogen ions, which can be caused by either respiratory or metabolic issues. An example from the script is respiratory acidosis, where an increase in carbon dioxide leads to the production of more hydrogen ions, making the blood more acidic.

💡Alkalosis

Alkalosis is the opposite of acidosis, where the blood is more basic than normal, with a pH level above the normal range. The script discusses how alkalosis can also be respiratory or metabolic in nature. For instance, respiratory alkalosis occurs when there is a decrease in carbon dioxide, leading to fewer hydrogen ions and thus a more basic blood pH.

💡Blood pH

Blood pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the blood and is crucial for maintaining the body's homeostasis. The video emphasizes that a normal blood pH should be between 7.35 and 7.45. Any deviation from this range can indicate a health issue, such as acidosis or alkalosis.

💡Respiratory Acidosis

Respiratory acidosis is a type of acidosis caused by issues related to breathing, specifically an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the blood. The script explains that this increase in CO2 leads to the formation of carbonic acid, which dissociates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions, increasing acidity.

💡Respiratory Alkalosis

Respiratory alkalosis occurs when there is a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the blood, often due to hyperventilation. The script mentions that this decrease in CO2 results in fewer hydrogen ions and an overabundance of bicarbonate ions, causing the blood to become more basic.

💡Metabolic Acidosis

Metabolic acidosis is caused by metabolic processes in the body, such as an increase in hydrogen ions or a decrease in bicarbonate ions. The script describes it as a condition where the body's compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed, leading to a lower blood pH.

💡Metabolic Alkalosis

Metabolic alkalosis is a condition where there is an excess of bicarbonate ions or a deficiency in hydrogen ions in the blood. The video script explains that this can occur due to various factors, such as excessive loss of stomach acid or the consumption of diuretics, leading to a higher blood pH.

💡Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide is a gas produced by the body's metabolism and is expelled through respiration. In the context of the video, an increase in CO2 can lead to respiratory acidosis, as it reacts with water in the blood to form carbonic acid, which then produces hydrogen ions.

💡Carbonic Acid (H2CO3)

Carbonic acid is formed when carbon dioxide reacts with water in the blood. The script explains that carbonic acid is unstable and dissociates into bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. The balance between these ions is crucial for maintaining blood pH levels.

💡Bicarbonate Ion (HCO3-)

Bicarbonate ions are a product of the dissociation of carbonic acid and play a significant role in the body's acid-base balance. The script mentions that a decrease in bicarbonate ions can lead to metabolic acidosis, while an increase can result in metabolic alkalosis.

💡Hydrogen Ion (H+)

Hydrogen ions are a key factor in determining the pH of the blood. The video script discusses how an increase in hydrogen ions indicates acidosis, while a decrease indicates alkalosis. The concentration of hydrogen ions is directly measured by the pH scale.

Highlights

Blood pH needs to be within the range of 7.35 to 7.45 for normal health.

Acidosis occurs when blood pH goes below 7.35, while alkalosis occurs when it goes above 7.45.

Blood pH measures the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Carbon dioxide in the blood reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which can affect pH levels.

Respiratory acidosis is related to an increase in carbon dioxide levels, leading to more hydrogen ions and a lower pH.

Respiratory alkalosis is characterized by a decrease in carbon dioxide levels, resulting in fewer hydrogen ions and a higher pH.

Metabolic acidosis involves either an increase in hydrogen ions or a decrease in bicarbonate ions.

A drop in bicarbonate levels is indicative of metabolic acidosis.

Metabolic alkalosis is associated with an overabundance of bicarbonate ions or a lack of hydrogen ions.

Medical professionals consider additional factors beyond pH when diagnosing acidosis or alkalosis.

The body compensates for respiratory acidosis by binding excess carbon dioxide and exhaling it.

The relationship between carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, and hydrogen ions is crucial for understanding respiratory acidosis and alkalosis.

Bicarbonate ions play a key role in neutralizing hydrogen ions in the context of metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.

An uncompensated metabolic acidosis is indicated by a drop in bicarbonate and a decrease in pH.

In uncompensated metabolic alkalosis, there is an increase in bicarbonate ions and an increase in pH.

The balance between carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, and hydrogen ions is essential for maintaining blood pH within the normal range.

Understanding the different types of acidosis and alkalosis is critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Transcripts

hi everyone a lot of health students

have issues with looking at acidosis or

alkalosis this is determining whether

the blood is acidic

or basic compared to its normal blood ph

now

there's different types of acidosis and

alkalosis you can have respiratory

or you can have metabolic now what i

want to talk to you about today

is what makes one respiratory based

acidosis alkalosis or metabolic based

acidosis alkalosis

so like i said before your blood ph

needs to sit between the range of 7.35

and 7.45 that's the range that needs to

sit within

if it goes below this particular range

acidosis if it goes above this

particular range

alkalosis that's the first point

next point is when we measure ph the h

simply stands for hydrogen ions that's

all we are measuring

in this case but when we do bloods to

have a look

when you get medical professionals

taking bloods to have a look

at whether somebody has acidosis or

alkalosis they don't just look

for the ph they also look for some other

factors to tell it whether it's

respiratory or metabolic let's take a

look alright

first thing is you must know this

equation the equation is

that when you breathe you produce carbon

dioxide this carbon dioxide will

inevitably get into your blood

and blood is filled with water so when

carbon dioxide

mixes with water it produces something

the thing it produces

is called carbonic acid which is h2

there's the h2 c from there o3

because there's two there and one there

now carbonic acid hates itself and

splits itself apart

and it produces these two things it

produces

bicarbonate ion and it produces

hydrogen ions again when we measure ph

we're just measuring this

so if somebody has acidosis it means

that

the quantity or concentration of this is

going up right

if they've got alkalosis the

concentration of this is going down

now think of this on a seesaw

if you increase carbon dioxide this goes

up and everything falls in this

direction producing more acid

so the more carbon dioxide the more

acidic the more acidic it means it's

going down in this direction and the

person has acidosis

usually the body is very good at

compensating and it will bind

with that and roll back down in this

direction and you breathe that carbon

dioxide out all right let's talk about

acidosis alkalosis different types

when we look at respiratory based

acidosis alkalosis it's looking at this

end

of the equation

when we look at metabolic it's looking

at this end of the equation

now when somebody has respiratory

acidosis

what happens is it's respiratory based

something to do with breathing

carbon dioxide is the only thing here

that we truly breathe we do breathe out

a little bit of water but mainly carbon

dioxide

right so if somebody has respiratory

acidosis the carbon dioxide levels must

be

increasing respiratory acidosis increase

carbon dioxide because

this means it binds with the water

produces carbonic acid

splits apart and produces hydrogen ions

this is acidic

that's respiratory acidosis so what

happens with the ph

it goes down dropping down in this

direction

all right that's respiratory acidosis

what about respiratory alkalosis

well it's going in the opposite

direction so in respiratory alkalosis

we're not producing enough co2

so it's not binding with water it's not

creating carbonic acid and we're not

producing enough hydrogen ions

which means we've just got an

overabundance of bicarbonate

comparatively and it becomes more

acidotic

so it's a drop in co2

which results in an increase in the ph

this is respiratory acidosis respiratory

alkalosis

what about metabolic metabolic acidosis

metabolic acidosis is referring to

what's happening

here now think about it metabolic

acidosis can happen either

if you increase the amount of hydrogen

ions

or if you decrease the amount of

bicarbonate because bicarbonate binds to

hydrogen to mop it up and get rid of it

so if that's gone you're just left with

a whole bunch of free hydrogen ions

so when you do the bloods to check for

this in metabolic acidosis what you'll

find is a

drop in bicarbonate this again is if

it's uncompensated

and an increase and a drop sorry

in the ph because it's acidosis so it's

going down

in metabolic alkalosis

what's happening is it's producing too

many

bicarbonate ions or again it could be

the fact there's not enough hydrogen

ions

maybe one or the other but what we do

know is that in alkalosis

there's more bicarbonate ions if it's

uncompensated

and what happens is the ph goes up as

well

so this is just a very quick run through

of what happens in respiratory based

acidosis alkalosis

and metabolic based acidosis alkalosis