During exercise when the body lacks an adequate supply of oxygen to support ener

Question

During exercise when the body lacks an adequate supply of oxygen to support energy production, the yruvate that is produced from the breakdown of glucose is converted into lactate. High lactate levels can ead to acidity in the muscle cells as some of the lactate hydrolyzes to lactic acid. The dissociation of lactic acid to lactate is shown in the reaction below. Lactic acid has a pKa of 3.86. OH Lactic Acid Lactate A solution containing a mixture of lactic acid and lactate was found to have a pH of 3.31. Calculate the ratio of the lactate concentration to the lactic acid concentration in this solution Number lactate lactic acid What fraction of the lactic acid/lactate mixture is lactic acid? Number fraction lactic acid-

Explanation / Answer

Use Henderson Hasselbalch equation,
pH = Pka + log [lactate] / [lactic acid ]
3.31 = 3.86 + log [lactate] / [lactic acid ]
-0.55 = log [lactate] / [lactic acid ]
[lactate] / [lactic acid ] = 10-0.55 = 0.2818

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