Understanding the Chloride Shift Essay Example

The chloride shift is basically an exchange of chloride ions through the capillaries of the system circuit. In the blood plasma, there is large amount of carbonic acid and when there is an increase in carbonic acid than the balance of hydrogen ions and carbonate ions dissociate to maintain a balance of homeostasis in the pH of the blood. The red blood cells help to maintain this system by buffering the system of carbonic acid and causing detachment of the above ions.

The release and detachment is buffered by de-oxyhemoglobin in the red blood cells. When the bicarbonate diffuses and the hydrogen ions are trapped than there is a net positive charge inside the red blood cells. With this process the attraction causes chlori