Carbonic acid (H2CO3) is a physiological chemical which is formed from a reaction between carbon dioxide and water in presence of carbonic anhydrase enzyme and dissociates into hydrogen ion (H+) and bicarbonate (HCO3 ). Carbonic acid is also described as volatile acid or respiratory acid because it is excreted as a gas by the lungs (CO2). Carbonic acid plays important role in maintaining the homeostasis in body through various adjustment depending on physiological and pathological conditions. In various systems in body, bicarbonate acts as a weak base and carbonic acid acts as a weak acid. Bicarbonate concentration is 24 mEq/liter. Carbonic acid concentration is 10.2 mmol/liter. Hydrogen ion concentration is 0.0004 mEq/liter (40 nEq/lit). Any imbalances in its buffering capacity may lead to severe pathological situations. This article is an attempt to crawl information on carbonic acid from reputed sources, dedicated to anatomy and physiology, so that readers can get relevant and concise information at one place in a single go, because carbonic acid plays crucial role in urinary, respiratory, digestive systems besides being an important chemical in blood.
Loading....