Final answer:
Acid/base balance is vital for health and is maintained by chemical buffering, respiratory compensation, and renal regulation, which work to absorb, exhale, or excrete acids and bases to stabilize the body's pH.
Step-by-step explanation:
The acid/base balance of the body is crucial for maintaining physiological function and is primarily regulated through three main mechanisms. These mechanisms include chemical buffering, respiratory compensation, and renal regulation. First, chemical buffers in the blood, such as bicarbonate and proteins, provide immediate defense against pH fluctuations by absorbing or releasing hydrogen ions (H+). Secondly, respiratory compensation adjusts the rate and depth of breathing to either remove carbon dioxide (CO2), which helps to decrease acidity, or retain CO2 to increase acidity, thereby changing the pH of the blood. Lastly, the kidneys manage long-term pH balance by selectively excreting or retaining hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) in urine, a process that may take from minutes to hours to restore equilibrium.