Experiment #1 pH and

Buffers
pH
•a measure of hydrogen ion concentration.
•measure of acidity/alkalinity of a solution.
•0-6=ACIDIC
•7.5-14=BASIC
Normal pH of:
•pure water = 7
•blood = 7.35-7.45
•fresh milk = 7
•urine = 6 (1-6.4)
Methods used to measure pH
•pH paper
•pH meter
•Litmus paper
 Samples we used in the lab for pH determination
•urine
•milk

>pH decreases numerically as the acidity of the solution increases.

 BUFFER SOLUTION
•solutions of combinations of chemicals that resist change in acidity or basicity.
•solutions of a weak acid with the salt of the weak acid, or of a weak base with a salt
of the base, usually serve as a buffer solution.
•if concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to a buffer solution that contains acetic
acid and sodium acetate, most of the added hydrogen ions from the hydrochloric acid
will combine with the excess acetate ions in solution to form slightly dissociated
acetic acid. The acidity of the solution will remain almost unchanged.
•a number of buffer systems in the body to assist in maintaining the nearly constant
pH of the blood.
TEST SOLUTIONS
•DISTILLED WATER
•SODIUM ACETATE SOLUTION
•PHOSPHATE BUFFER PH 7.0
•ALBUMIN SOLUTION
 What we added to the samples
•Hydrochloric acid or HCl (strong acid)
•Sodium hydroxide or NaOH (strong base)

>pH + pOH = 14
 >What chemical substance must be added to each of the following to make a
satisfactory buffer solution?

a. Acetic acid. sodium acetate

b. Ammonium chloride ammonium hydroxide
c. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate dibasic monohydrogen phosphate
EXPERIMENT 2:
BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

 DIFFUSION
•the process of the net movement of a solute from an area of high concentration to an
area of low concentration.
•it is able to distribute metabolites effectively throughout the interior of the cell. But
because of the bilipid layer structure of the membrane, only a few molecules are able
to diffuse freely across a membrane. Any large or highly charged molecules or ions
are not able to pass through the bilipid bilayer directly.
•any membrane that allows the diffusion of some molecules but not others is said to
be selectively permeable.
•most molecules are transported across biological membranes by specific protein
carriers known as permeases.
•when a solute diffuses through a membrane from an area of high concentration to an
area of low concentration by passing through a channel within a permease, the
process is known as facilitated diffusion.
>Sample
•Distilled water

>Reagent added
•10% copper sulfate (CuSo4)
•10% prussian blue solution
 OSMOSIS
•the phenomenon in which the solvent passes through a semipermeable membrane
from a solution of lesser concentration to one of greater concentration.
•many animal and vegetable membranes are semipermeable and osmosis is necessary
in the proper functioning of living matter.
 Osmotic pressure
•pressure that must be exerted to stop the flow of water across a selectively
permeable membrane by osmosis.

>Isotonic
•when a solution has the same osmotic pressure as some body fluid.
•a physiological salt solution (0.85-0.90% sodium chloride) is isotonic to blood
plasma.
•if placed in a solution that is isotonic with the blood plasma, erythrocytes, or red
blood cells, will undergo no change in size or shape.
>Hemolysis
•the cell will expand and finally burst if red blood cells are placed in a solution that
has a lower osmotic pressure than blood plasma.
•this is due to the fact that the fluid in the cells has a higher osmotic pressure than the
solution in which they are suspended.
•water flows into these cells faster than it flows out of them.
 >Hypotonic
•when a solution has a lower osmotic pressure than blood plasma.
•swell

>Hypertonic
•a solution that has a higher osmotic pressure than the blood plasma.
•if red blood cells are placed in such a solution, water will pass out of them faster
than it enters and the red blood cells will shrink or crenate.
 >Sample
•Defibrinated blood

>Reagent added
•0.9% NaCl (Sodium chloride)
•0.1 M NaCl
•1.0 M NaCl
 DIALYSIS
•Thomas Graham found that parchment membrane would allow the passage of true
solutions but would prevent the passage of colloidal dispersions.
•dissolved solutes can be removed from colloidal dispersions the use of such
membrane by a process called dialysis.
•the membrane itself is called a dialyzing membrane.
•artificial membranes are made from such materials as parchment paper, collodion, or
certain kinds of cellophane.
•occurs through many membranes of living plants and animals.
Chemic Reagents Added For positive results
al tests

Test for Dialysate + 25% White precipitate

Proteins Trichloroacetic acid

Test for Dialysate + Fehling's Red to yellow

Sugars Reagent A and B precipitate
 Dialysate
•fresh milk
•cellophane
•distilled water
 SURFACE TENSION
•measure of the attractive forces exerted among molecules at the surface of a liquid.
•generally decreases with an increase in temperature or a decrease in the polarity of
molecules that make up the liquid.
•these surface molecules are surrounded and attracted by fewer liquid molecules than
those below and to each side. This increase surface force is responsible for the
spherical shape of drops of liquid.
•surfactants such as soaps and detergents are substances that can be added to a liquid
to decrease surface tension.
Sample Reagents
Distilled water chloroform
Distilled water Chloroform and soap
Sample Reagents
Bile solution Sulfur powder
Distilled water Sulfur powder
THE END