Ask A Scientist© Molecular Biology Archive

name         Deanna
status       student
age          16

Question -   What are the effects of Oxygen Deprivation on the HCO3-
in the blood?

The pH (acidity level) of the blood monitors the level of carbon dioxide
(CO2).  As a chemical equation,

H2O + CO2 = H+ + HCO3-

As CO2 levels increase, the concentration of H+ ions also increases.  More
H+ means more acidic, or a lower pH.  This state signals your brain that
you need to breathe faster or deeper.  Under prolonged oxygen deprivation
(like skiing at the top of a mountain for a week), your body balances out
the pH by increasing the bicarbonate level (HCO3-).  When the + and -
charges balance out, the pH is back to neutral levels.

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Christine Ticknor
Ph.D. Student
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
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