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Regulation of intracellular pH
1Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8026, USA. walter.boron@yale.edu
Advances in Physiology Education
|November 17, 2004
Summary
Animal cells regulate intracellular pH (pH(i)) using transporters, similar to how a house uses a furnace and air conditioner to control temperature. Buffering minimizes rapid pH shifts, while transporters actively adjust pH levels.
Area of Science:
- Cellular physiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Intracellular pH (pH(i)) regulation is crucial for cellular function.
- Cells employ buffering and active transport mechanisms to maintain pH homeostasis.
- Analogous to house temperature regulation, cellular pH control involves passive and active components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular pH regulation in animal cells.
- To draw parallels between cellular pH homeostasis and artificial temperature control systems.
- To highlight the roles of buffering and acid-base transporters in pH(i) modulation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analogy between cellular pH regulation and house temperature control.
- Description of buffering capacity (beta) and heat capacity (C).
- Explanation of acid-extruding and acid-loading transporters versus furnaces and air conditioners.
Main Results:
- Buffering minimizes, but does not eliminate, pH(i) fluctuations.
- Acid-extruding and acid-loading transporters actively adjust pH(i).
- Cells exhibit graded responses in transport rates to pH(i) changes.
- Extracellular sensors (CO(2), HCO(3)(-)) modulate acid-base transport.
Conclusions:
- Cellular pH regulation is a dynamic process involving buffering and active transport.
- The analogy to thermostat-controlled systems effectively illustrates pH homeostasis mechanisms.
- Sensing extracellular cues is integral to adaptive acid-base transport in cells.