An Acid Can Donate a Hydrogen Ion, and a Base Can Accept a Hydrogen Ion
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid because it dissociates completely in water into H‘ and Cl. Chloride ion is a base because it has the potential to accept a hydrogen ion, but it is a weak base because HCl dissociates so completely.
Carbonic acid (H2CO5), in contrast, is a weak acid because it dissociates incompletely in solution into hydrogen and bicarbonate ions. Bicarbonate (HCO5'), however, is a relatively strong base that can accept a hydrogen ion and form undissociated carbonic acid. The latter reaction removes hydrogen ions from solution, and the concentration of free H* decreases, causing the pH to rise. Bases do not have to be ions; for example, ammonia (NH5) is a base because it can accept a proton and become ammonium ion (NH4+). This reaction is of little importance in the blood, but it is important in the renal collecting duct. In addition, proteins also act as buffers by virtue of the terminal carboxyl and amino groups, which can donate (R-COOH → R-COO^ + Ht) or accept (R-NH2 + H* → R-NH5') protons, respectively.
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