Part II – Buffers
Dr. Rosen reappeared in the cubicle. “Sorry for the interruption, and for leaving you in suspense. The good news is that you did not have a heart attack. But I do think you’re having an unusual reaction to Topamax. It appears to be inhibiting your renal carbonic anhydrase, leading to metabolic acidosis. We’ll be giving you an IV, and you should taper off your Topamax under your family physician’s supervision.”
Dr. Rosen checked his pager and said, “Sorry, it’s one of those days. Again, you’ll be all right, and the nurse will be with you shortly to start the IV.” He turned on his heel and left just as quickly as he had appeared.
“Mom, don’t worry,” said Chris. “I’m going to call one of my friends at college. He should be able to help us figure this out.”
Chris dials his cell phone; yours rings. After you complete the following questions, write a one- or two-paragraph explanation to help Chris understand what’s going on with his mom.
Questions
2a. Bicarbonate is one of the main buffers in the blood. Provide a definition of a buffer.
2b. Give an equation that allows one to calculate the pH of a buffer solution.
2c. Provide the specific form of this equation, including each chemical species, that will allow you to calculate the pH of a bicarbonate buffered solution.
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