D.+Chemical+aspects+of+physiology

Chemical Aspects of Physiology      The **chemical aspects of physiology** involve many parts of chemistry, including: Atoms, ions and chemical bonds, carbohydrates and lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Our bodies are filled with multiple molecules and chemical compounds. They all have different charges and all play vital roles in keeping our bodies healthy. We have atoms and ions all over in our bodies keeping things working. These atoms and ions are all held together by three different kinds of bonds, covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds. The pH of our blood is a very important part of the chemical aspects of physiology. The blood pH all has to do with the amount of H+ ions in the blood. The more H+ ions there are in a solution the lower the pH is going to be. Buffers such as bicoarbonate help to keep the blood pH stable by accepting or releasing H+ ions.

Enzymes aid in chemical reactions within our bodies. The enzymes in our cells are only able to combine with D-sugars and L-amino acids. Enzymes must combine with the correct stereoisomer. media type="youtube" key="QqjcCvzWwww" height="288" width="468" __** Acids Bases and the pH Scale **__ **pH** is the measurement of the H+ concentration of a solution on a scale from 0-14. The calculation for pH is pH=log __1__ [H+]  http://hubpages.com/hub/Causes-of-Acidosis-and-Alkalosis   **Acids** have a higher concentration of H+ than water and is considered to be a "proton donor" because it has extra H+ protons to release into a solution. Acids run from 0-7 on the pH scale. **Bases** or alkaline solutions have a lower H+ concentration than water and is considered a "proton acceptor" because it removes H+ from a solution. Bases fun from 7-14 on the pH scale. **Neutral** solutions have a balanced level of H+ and OH- ions and are neither a "proton donor" or a "proton acceptor". On the pH scale, neutral solutions are a 7. **Buffers** work toward the stabilization of the pH of a solution. __** Lipids **__ **Lipids** are organic molecules that are nonpolar and are insoluble in water. Lipids come in several types and consist of hydrocarbon chains and rings. **Triglycerides** are a type of lipid that consist of one glycerol molecule and three fatty acid molecules. Triglycerides are fats and oils and can make saturated fats and unsaturated fats. **Ketone bodies** occur during the hydrolysis of triglycerides within the adipose tissue which releases free fatty acids into the blood. Those fatty acids are then either an immediate source energy or the liver converts them to ketone bodies. Elevated levels of ketone bodies can be dangerous and is called **ketosis**. If the levels of ketone bodies is high enough to alter the blood pH level from the normal range of 7.35-7.45 it is called **ketoacidosis**. **Phospholipids** are lipids that contain a phosphate group  http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/lipids.htm#phoslpd   **Steroids** are lipids that are nonpolar, insoluble in water, and consist of three 6- carbon rings joined to one 5-carbon ring. http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/lipids.htm#steroid  **Prostaglandins** are fatty acids with a cyclic hydrocarbon group. Prostaglandins are produced by organs and serve regulatory functions. __** Nucleic Acids **__   **Nucleic acids** include DNA and RNA which are critical for our genetic regulation. **DNA** is the basis for the genetic code. It is made of deoxyribose a 5-carbon sugar which shares a covalent bond with 2 purines and 2 pyrimidines. The structure of DNA is a double helix. **RNA** assists with genetic expressions and there are 3 differen kinds. RNA are long chains of nucleotides joined by sugar-phosphate bonds. __**Essential Quesions **__ __**Describe buffers, their importance, and the buffering **__ __** system (bicarbonate/carbonic acid) used in the blood to **__ __** regulate the narrow range of pH in the blood. What is **__ __** the difference between acidosis and alkalosis? **__ __** What are enzymes? What role do they play in human **__ __** physiology? **__ Our body uses buffers to help maintain the homeostasis of our blood. Buffers such as bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) and carbonic acid (H2CO3) help to maintain our bloods constant pH. The normal pH of blood is around between 7.35 and 7.45. For an individual that has had the flu and been vomiting the loss of gastric juices could cause the concentration of free H+ in the blood to drop thus causing the pH to rise. The carbonic acid buffer would work to slow the loss of free H+ and help maintain the blood pH in order to maintain homeostasis of the blood.  Another buffer as mentioned above is bicarbonate ion (HCO3-). The bicarbonate ion works to maintain pH in the blood by removing excess H+ from the blood and preventing the blood pH from falling. An example of low blood pH or acidosis could be when a person has an increased acid concentrate such as lactic acid (which aids in maintaining homeostasis during exercise) releasing H+ into the blood. Bicarbonate would work to reverse the H+ concentration to keep the pH constant at 7.40.  There are two changes in pH they are called acidosis and alkalosis. Both of these are prevented by the actions of buffers such as “the actions of bicarbonate/carbonic acid buffer pair and by the functions of the lungs and kidneys.” (Fox, p. 30)  **Acidosis** is when the pH of arterial blood __falls below__ 7.35-7.40.  **Alkalosis** is when the pH of arterial blood __rises above__ 7.35-7.40.  Enzymes are a protein or biological catalysts that work to increase the rate of a specific chemical reaction. Enzymes can help us diagnose illness and disease in the human body. The presence of different enzymes in the blood plasma can indicate problems. Some examples are included in the table below from Fox's //Human Physiology//.

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<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;">The chemical breakdown of cells and buffers applies in a large part to the lab technicians who work with blood samples every day, breaking them down and analyzing them. They need to know and recognize changes in pH and enzymes to be able to inform the doctors about what is going on inside of the body so a proper diagnosis can be made.The table above gives some examples of diseases and the enzymes that would be present in the blood plasma for that specific disease. ======

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;">As a nurse a possible application would be to educate patients on and help control cholesterol levels. If I have a patient with a LDL level twice or three times the normal levels I would want to encourage this patient to eat less trans fats to lower their LDL levels. If the patient fails to lower their cholesterol levels it can lead to several health conditions including coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and possibly stroke. As a nurse it is very important to know what the normal pH range is in the body. For example, the normal blood pH range should be kept between 7.35 and 7.45, if it alters from this, complications can occur. I found an awesome website that goes into detail about the pH and complications of acidosis and alkalosis.[|Awesome info. on pH and cells] One thing I thought of immediately is how when a nurse checks placement of a nasogastic tube, they suction out fluids and test its acidity to ensure that the tube is in the stomach. The stomach as you may already know, is more acidic than the body (at a pH of 2) so it can help in digestion and breaking down of food particles into simpler components that are body can use for energy.

As a nurse knowing chemical aspects of physiology helps you to understand why certain disorders occur. An example of this is ketoacidosis which can occur in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Ketoacidosis is acidosis accompanied by an accumulation of ketones in the body, resulting from extensive breakdown of fats because of faulty carbohydrate metabolism (Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition, Pg. 1033) Ketoacidosis can be acute or have an onset of several days and is also considered severe hyperglycemia. It can result from infection, surgery, stress or lack of effective insulin control. This condition can lower the blood pH to 6.8-7.3, which is metabolic acidosis. The most severe results can be coma or death.

Since this condition primarily occurs with DM, it is good to be aware that this can be dangerous for the patient. Knowing about ketoacidosis I would know the symptoms which are characterized by fruity breath, mental confusion, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, weight loss. I would also know how to better treat the patient. Treatment is giving insulin, IV fluid therapy and correction of electrolyte imbalances. Also, I would be able to help the patient with a health plan that would include meal plans, activity schedule, blood glucose and urine ketone monitoring, and prescribed insulin therapy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Fox, Stuart Ira. (2009). //Human Physiology//. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition,

In my line of work as a nurse in a nursing home I am constantly working with residents that already have some of the diseases that come along with abnormal plasma enzyme concentration such as: benign hypertrophy of the prostate, cancer of the prostrate, and renal disease. It is important for me, as a nurse, to recognize that these labs will be abnormal related to their disease. Also working with a numerous amount of resident's with diabetes mellitus, I will have to recognize the signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia which are polyphagia (frequent hunger), polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (frequent thirst), blurred vision, fatigue, weight loss (due to dehydration), dry mouth, dry itchy skin and poor wound healing, so that a patient of mine does not go into ketoacidosis which is a medical emergency. Home-- E. CELL PHYSIOLOGY