Final answer:
In cases of respiratory acidosis, the kidneys compensate by secreting more bicarbonate ions to restore the pH balance in the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
In cases of respiratory acidosis, the kidneys compensate by secreting more bicarbonate ions. This helps increase the concentration of bicarbonate in the blood, restoring the balance between bicarbonate and carbonic acid. This compensatory mechanism helps regulate pH levels in the body.
The secretion of more bicarbonate ions by the kidneys is part of the metabolic compensation for respiratory acidosis. The kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining acid-base balance by adjusting H+ ion levels and conserving bicarbonate.
Example: If an individual is experiencing respiratory acidosis due to a decrease in lung function, the kidneys will respond by increasing the secretion of bicarbonate ions to help restore the body's pH balance.
Although the enzymes of the pancreatic juice are secreted entirely by the acini of the pancreatic glands, the other two important components of pancreatic juice, bicarbonate ions and water, are secreted mainly by the epithelial cells of the ductules and ducts that lead from the acini. When the pancreas is stimulated to secrete copious quantities of pancreatic juice, the bicarbonate ion concentration can rise to as high as 145 mEq/L, a value about five times that of bicarbon-ate ions in the plasma. This provides a large quantity of alkali in the pancreatic juice that serves to neutral-ize the hydrochloric acid emptied into the duodenum from the stomach.