Inorganic compounds like water, salts, acids, and bases play crucial roles in the human body. They lack carbon-hydrogen bonds but are essential for life-supporting functions. Understanding their properties and interactions is key to grasping how our bodies maintain balance and function properly.

Water's unique properties make it indispensable for life. Its polarity, cohesion, and heat-related characteristics enable vital processes like dissolving substances, maintaining body temperature, and facilitating chemical reactions. Essential salts, acids, and bases further contribute to our body's delicate chemical balance.

Inorganic Compounds in the Human Body

Inorganic vs organic compounds

• Inorganic compounds lack carbon-hydrogen bonds found in organic compounds (water, salts, acids, bases)
• Organic compounds contain carbon-hydrogen bonds form the basis of life (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids)

Water's life-supporting properties

• Polarity creates uneven charge distribution allows dissolving of polar and ionic substances
• Cohesion attracts water molecules contributes to surface tension and capillary action
• High specific heat capacity requires significant energy to change temperature maintains stable body temperature
• High heat of vaporization needs substantial energy for evaporation enables effective cooling through sweating
• Water molecules form hydrogen bonds, contributing to its unique properties

Functions of essential salts

• Electrolytes conduct electrical impulses in nerve and muscle cells (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride)
• Osmotic balance regulates water movement between compartments maintains proper hydration and cell volume
• Enzyme cofactors assist in enzyme function and chemical reactions (iron in hemoglobin, zinc in DNA synthesis enzymes)
• Bone and tooth mineralization provides structural integrity and strength (calcium and phosphate in hydroxyapatite)

Acids vs bases in pH balance

• Acids donate hydrogen ions (H+) lower pH creating an acidic environment (hydrochloric acid in stomach, lactic acid in muscles)
• Bases accept hydrogen ions (H+) raise pH creating an alkaline environment (bicarbonate, ammonia)
• pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 7 as neutral, < 7 acidic, and > 7 alkaline
• pH impacts bodily functions as enzyme activity is pH-dependent abnormal pH disrupts cellular processes leading to dysfunction
• Maintaining acid-base balance is crucial for homeostasis

Buffer systems for pH homeostasis

• Buffer systems resist pH changes when acids or bases are added consist of weak acid and conjugate base or weak base and conjugate acid
• Bicarbonate buffer system acts as the primary extracellular buffer with $H2CO3 (carbonic acid) + HCO3- (bicarbonate)$ regulated by respiratory system (CO2 elimination) and kidneys (HCO3- excretion)
• Phosphate buffer system serves as an important intracellular buffer with $H2PO4- (dihydrogen phosphate) + HPO4-2 (hydrogen phosphate)$
• Protein buffer systems utilize amino acids acting as weak acids or bases with hemoglobin as a significant blood buffer

Water as a solvent and its role in cellular processes

• Water acts as a universal solvent, dissolving many substances essential for life
• Hydrophilic substances readily dissolve in water, facilitating cellular processes
• Hydrophobic substances repel water, influencing cellular membrane structure and function
• Water's solvent properties are crucial for cellular respiration and other metabolic processes