Buffer solutions help maintain the pH of blood at a constant level, which is important for biochemical reactions in the human body to occur properly. Acidic and alkaline buffers neutralize increases or decreases in the acidity or alkalinity of blood caused by carbon dioxide or other factors. Without these buffer solutions, changes in blood pH could disrupt enzyme activity and organ function, potentially causing harm or even death.

1. Importance of Buffer Solution
By Mike Charmaine, eHow Contributor
updated: June 17, 2010
Buffer solutions are solutions in water that mark the combination of acids and bases.
They help in neutralization reaction to a certain extent. Acidic buffer solutions are those
that have strong acids and weak bases as their components. They are used for neutralizing
alkaline solutions. Alkaline or basic buffer solutions are those that have strong alkalis and
weak acids in the mixture. They are used for neutralizing acidic aqueous solutions.
Blood as a Buffer Solution
1. Blood itself tends to be a buffer solution by keeping its pH value constant. Buffer
solutions help in the adjustment of the nature of blood. They play a major role in
the anatomy of every human being. If the alkaline nature of blood increases,
buffer solutions tend to bring down the pH value of blood. The reverse happens if
blood becomes acidic. Acidic nature increases the pH value of blood.
Role of Buffers in Human Body
2. Reactions inside the human body take place in the blood plasma. These reactions
might fail to happen if the pH changes. For complete reaction to take place, the
pH of the blood should remain constant. Biochemical reactions are quite sensitive
to the nature of blood. The reaction inverts by changes in the pH of blood.
However, these buffers generally prevent such mishap. These changes also affect
the biological activity of a human being.
Importance of Buffer Solutions to Human Body
3. If the pH value of blood remains in either alkaline or acidic form then it could
prove harmful to a human being. It may even lead to death. This may prevent the
working of some organs also. This serves to be the best example as to why buffer
solutions are important for the body. Buffer solutions prevent the body from
permanent damage.
Action of Buffers in Blood Plasma
4. When carbon dioxide dissolves in blood, it decreases the pH value, thereby
increasing the acidic content of blood. In this case, alkaline buffers come into
play. They tend to mix with the plasma of blood and then neutralize its value. The
same happens in the plasma when the alkaline value of blood increases. In this
case, acidic buffers in the blood plasma play their role. If the alkalinity or the

2. acidity of blood pertains for a longer period, the body gets into a hazardous state,
which if left unaddressed, can prove fatal.
Changes in Body due to Buffer Solutions
5. Without buffer solutions, our body may undergo a lot of changes. The enzyme
action is regulated by blood. Therefore, the change of pH value also affects the
enzymes indirectly. Enzyme actions require low energy involvement. Changes in
the temperature of body can effect enzyme action to a wider range. This serves to
be the primary reason as to why buffer solutions play a major role in the human
body