CONDE, RYAN CARLO P.

BS Biology IV

Cellular and Molecular Biology (Lab)

Mr. Wilfredo Barrera Jr.
Post-laboratory report on
Exercise 2
Understanding pH and Buffers

A buffer, as defined by Brown, is a solution that resists drastic pH when limited amounts of acid or base are
added to it; an aqueous solution containing a weak base and its conjugate base. This weak acid and its conjugate
base are the reason why buffers are able to resist drastic changes in pH. When H + is added to a buffer, the weak base
component of the buffer reacts with the H+ and forms the acid component of the buffer. The concentration of the acid
and base component of the buffer may change, but the ratio of the base/acid does not change significantly. This
means that the pH will also have no significant changes. When OH- is added to the buffer the weak acid is converted
to the base component of the buffer. The base/acid does not have any significant change, so the pH does not have
any significant change.
Theoretically the greater the concentration of the buffer, the greater is its buffering capacity. In the
experiment performed, different solution were prepared and test its buffering capacity according to the maximum
amount of either strong acid or strong base that can be added before a significant change in the pH will occur.
Table 1.1 Buffering capacity of the mixed/prepared solutions

Solution
Acetate Buffer
Bicarbonate
Buffer
Unbuffered
Sucrose

Initial

Indicator

Color after

Used

Used

Color after

Acid/Base
(ml)
3

adding strong

17

Methyl Red

Pink

Acid/Base
(ml)
NaOH

18

Thymol Blue

Blue

HCl

Yellow

32.5

Methyl Red

Yellow

NaOH

0.5

Bright Yellow

volume (ml)

the indicator

acid/base
Yellow

As stated in the Table above (Table 1.1), both Acetate and Bicarbonate buffer has a high resistance to either
strong acids or strong bases and with Unbuffered sucrose solution with the least buffering capacity since it has low
conjugate base/weak acid. Also notice the fast-changing coloration of the unbuffered sucrose solution compared to
the buffered solutions, with just 0.5 ml of NaOH the pale yellow colored of the mixture solution becomes a bright
yellow substance.
Buffers are important in living systems for maintaining homeostasis or equilibrium inside their bodies to a
specific narrow range required to provide optimum conditions so that biochemical reactions or metabolic reactions
may take place. Even a small change in the pH can be fatal for a living organism. Many chemical reactions in living
cells involve exchanges of hydrogen ions. Because changes in acidity can affect both the structure and chemical
reactivity of cellular molecules, cells must constantly maintain an acid-base balance.
Buffers are important in biochemical experiments to mimic the pH of the natural environment where the
reactions normally happen and to keep the pH of the solutions where the reactions are supposed to take place,
constant. In the laboratory, molecular and cellular biologists make extensive use of buffers to stabilize the pH of

aqueous solutions. When studying biomolecules in a test tube, the biomolecules may be altered or may behave in
ways that are uncharacteristic of their natural behavior if they are in a solution with a pH that is significantly
different from the pH of their natural environment.

Reference:

Bettelheim, F. (2007). Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry. Brooks/Cole by Thomson Learning.
Buffer Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2015, from Purdue Official Chemistry:
http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/howtosolveit/Equilibrium/Buffers.htm
Cedo, V., et al., (2014). Post laboratory report on pH and Buffer Systems
Review in Aqueous Equilibrium. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from Cengage College:
http://college.cengage.com/chemistry/zumdahl/chemistry/7e/resources/answers_for_review/ch15_for_review.pdf