Biological Buffers

Most chemical reactions are severely influenced by pH changes of the solution. Biological buffers allow the researcher to maintain control of the solution’s acidity by capturing or releasing protons. The pH value is kept constant even after addition of acids of bases. This is of special importance with regards to biochemical reactions, as the charge of proteins and nucleic acids is strongly correlated to the local pH. Biological solutions like blood or saliva are therefore buffered, mostly by phosphate- or carbonate buffer systems. In molecular biology and biochemistry, buffering is achieved by addition of so-called “good buffers” or PBS.