Final answer:
Phosphate ion acts as a buffer to minimize changes in intracellular pH.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ion that acts as a buffer to minimize changes in intracellular pH is
- phosphate
Phosphates are found in the blood in two forms - sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4), which is a weak acid, and sodium monohydrogen phosphate (Na2HPO4), which is a weak base. These forms of phosphate can help maintain the pH balance within cells and prevent drastic changes in intracellular pH levels.