Acids "donate" protons, bases accept them. Sounds simple. Runs hard.
The process of donating a proton, or a positively charged hydrogen ion, can cause significant chemical changes in the metabolic environment, destabilizing proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates and disrupting cellular processes, including energy production, protein synthesis, and reproduction. The more forcefully the acid foists the unwelcome proton upon surrounding organic molecules the more deleterious the result. One only has to realize that our stomach acid (hydrochloric, pH 2) can "melt" a tough steak to understand
why acids are so harmful to our tissues.
It is noteworthy that our body's normal extracellular environment is not actually neutral (pH 7) but slightly basic (7.35 - 7.45). My students hypothesize that the "reason" for this is that the environment in which we evolved and live has more acids of potential harm, and so endowed the body with a slight "head start" in the buffering process.
Excellent thinking!
Negatively charged bases, which "suck up" protons, can also cause serious cellular damage;
they are just not as common in our environment. Lye, a severe caustic, is strongly basic and can "melt" tissue as easily as sulfuric acid.
The body has evolved complex and delicately balanced systems to keep us from becoming too acidic or basic, either of which can lead to serious ahomeostasis or death;
this is another aspect of our being fearfully and wonderfully made!
Be grateful for your buffers!
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