How do the lungs work in maintaining acid and base balance?
1 Answer
the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs
Explanation:
One mechanism the body uses to control blood pH involves the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs.
Carbon dioxide, which is mildly acidic, is a waste product of the metabolism of oxygen (which all cells need) and, as such, is constantly produced by cells.
As with all waste products, carbon dioxide gets excreted into the blood. The blood carries carbon dioxide to the lungs, where it is exhaled.
As carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the pH of the blood decreases (acidity increases).
The brain regulates the amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by controlling the speed and depth of breathing.
The amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, and consequently the pH of the blood, increases as breathing becomes faster and deeper.
By adjusting the speed and depth of breathing, the brain and lungs are able to regulate the blood pH minute by minute. Source
