CO_2 gas, produced as a waste product of cellular respiration in the cells is re
ID: 474675 • Letter: C
Question
CO_2 gas, produced as a waste product of cellular respiration in the cells is removed from the body through exhalation (breathing out). The carbon dioxide dissolves in body fluids forming the following equilibrium system: CO_2(g) H_2O + CO_2(aq) H_2CO_3(g) H^+ _(aq)+ HCO_3_(aq) H^+_(aq) + CO_3^2-_(aq) a) Explain what would happen to the blood pH if you're holding your breath (not breathing) for a few minutes [A, 2m] b) Unlike humans, chickens cannot perspire. When a chicken gets hot, it pants like a dog. In hot weather, chickens lay eggs with thin shells. Eggshell is composed of calcium carbonate CaCO_3(s) Explain why when chicken pants, they lay thin-shelled eggs in hot weather [A, 2m] Suggest two practical recommendations farmers can use to reduce the production of fragile eggsExplanation / Answer
a) From the given equation, it is clear that the pH of blood will decrease. This can be explained using Le Chatelier's principle. It state that if a system in equilibrium is disturbed by a changing the factors affecting the equilibrium, then the system will tend to shift its equilibrium to counter the effects. Here the concentration is the factor which is altered and thereby disturbing the system in equilibrium.
If we don't exhale out the gaseous CO2, the equilibrium will shift in such a way to reduce its concentration by redissolving in body fluid. This will increase the concentration of dissolved CO2. Due to this, the equilibrium will again shift by increasing the concentration of carbonic acid. This inturn disturb the equilibrium between carbonic acid and bicarbonate as well as proton. So to counter this, more carbonic acid will dissolve and bicarbonate and proton concentration increases. Finally due to this increased concentration of bicarbonate, carbonate and proton will be formed in order to counter this. As proton concentration increase pH decreases.
b) During hot weather, chicken pants like dog. Hence the concentration of exhaled/ gaseous CO2 increases. Just opposite of the above case(changee increase to decrease and vice versa). Hence whole equilibrium will be disturbed. To counter that changes, the concentration of carbonate in blood decrease along with Increase in pH. Since egg shells are carbonates of calcium, the decreased concentration of carbonates makes egg shells thin.
c)
Reduce the temperature of farm
Increase the amount of carbonates in feeds