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Buffering Agents

Meaning

Buffering Agents are chemical substances that possess the crucial capacity to resist significant changes in the pH of a solution when a strong acid or base is introduced. In the physiological environment, these agents are indispensable components of the body’s homeostatic machinery, maintaining the narrow, optimal pH range required for enzymatic function, cellular integrity, and protein structure. The body’s intrinsic buffer systems, such as the bicarbonate and phosphate systems, are vital for life and are constantly at work to prevent metabolic acidosis or alkalosis. Their presence ensures the stability necessary for complex biochemical reactions to proceed correctly.