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Related Concept Videos

pH Regulation in Cells01:28

pH Regulation in Cells

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pH plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular activities. It helps maintain the structure and function of various proteins, dictates the charge on cellular membranes, and is crucial for metabolic reactions inside the cell. Moreover, cells use the energy from the proton motive force to generate ATP.
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...
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ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview01:27

ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview

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ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
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Stomach pH Regulation01:21

Stomach pH Regulation

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The human body carefully regulates the internal pH of different organs to maintain homeostasis. For example, while the blood plasma maintains a neutral pH of 7, the stomach lumen has an acidic pH of 1.5 - 3.5. The low pH of stomach lumen helps kill pathogens in the food and break down complex food molecules.
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pH Homeostasis01:31

pH Homeostasis

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Acid-base homeostasis is essential for maintaining normal physiological activities in humans. The pH of various body fluids is strictly regulated because it is critical for the optimal activity of enzymes involved in metabolic reactions. Enzymes are basically proteins, so, any significant change in pH can affect their structure and activity. In humans, pH is regulated using three primary mechanisms— chemical buffer systems, respiratory regulation, and renal regulation.
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Buffer Systems in the Body01:19

Buffer Systems in the Body

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Chemical buffers play a critical role in the body's regulation of pH levels. These systems contain one or more compounds that stabilize pH changes by neutralizing strong acids or bases. When pH levels drop, hydrogen ions bind to a weak base; when pH levels rise, hydrogen ions are released. This dynamic process helps maintain pH within a narrow and stable range essential for normal physiological function.
A typical buffer system in bodily fluids includes a weak acid and its corresponding...
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Renal Regulation of Acid-Base Balance01:29

Renal Regulation of Acid-Base Balance

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Metabolic reactions in the body produce nonvolatile acids, such as sulfuric acid, which generate an acid load of approximately 1 mEq of H+ per kilogram of body weight daily. Excreting H+ in the urine is essential to balance this acid load.
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Measuring Phagosome pH by Ratiometric Fluorescence Microscopy
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Preferential intracellular pH regulation: hypotheses and perspectives.

Ryan B Shartau1, Daniel W Baker2, Dane A Crossley3

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4 shartau@zoology.ubc.ca brauner@zoology.ubc.ca.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|August 5, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Vertebrate embryos may preferentially regulate intracellular pH (pHi) during acid-base disturbances, a strategy shifting to extracellular pH (pHe) regulation in adults. This developmental shift in pH regulation has evolutionary implications.

Keywords:
Acid–base regulationAmniotesDevelopmentFishHypercarbiaPhysiologyPreferential pHi regulation

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Vertebrates typically regulate extracellular pH (pHe), leading to coupled changes in intracellular pH (pHi).
  • Some species, like fish and amphibians, exhibit preferential pHi regulation, maintaining intracellular pH despite extracellular disturbances.
  • This preferential regulation has not been observed in adult amniotes but is present in developing common snapping turtles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose that preferential pHi regulation is a general strategy in vertebrate embryos for acid-base homeostasis.
  • To explore the environmental and physiological factors influencing the retention or loss of preferential pHi regulation in adult vertebrates.
  • To consider the evolutionary significance of preferential pHi regulation in vertebrate adaptation and transition to land.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing literature on vertebrate acid-base balance.
  • Comparative analysis of pH regulation strategies across different vertebrate groups and life stages.
  • Hypothesis generation based on developmental and evolutionary observations.

Main Results:

  • Vertebrate embryos may utilize preferential pHi regulation during severe acid-base challenges.
  • A developmental shift from preferential pHi to coupled pH regulation occurs in species like the common snapping turtle.
  • Environmental factors and regulatory challenges likely shape the persistence of preferential pHi regulation in adults.

Conclusions:

  • Preferential pHi regulation is hypothesized as a conserved embryonic strategy for managing acid-base balance.
  • The evolutionary retention of preferential pHi regulation may have facilitated key transitions, including aquatic-to-terrestrial life.
  • Understanding these regulatory shifts offers insights into vertebrate adaptation and evolution.