What is the medically defined term for the serious disruption of the body's pH environment known as acidosis?
Answer
Acidosis
Acidosis is the specific medical term used to describe a significant clinical imbalance where the body's tightly controlled pH environment is disrupted, resulting in the blood pH dropping below the normal range of 7.35. This condition signifies a failure in the homeostatic mechanisms designed to maintain acid-base balance, indicating a severe physiological problem rather than just a temporary dietary effect. It differs from simply feeling 'too acidic' and represents a genuine threat to life due to the critical role pH plays in enzyme function and cellular operations.
Related Questions
What is the medically defined term for the serious disruption of the body's pH environment known as acidosis?Which two main organs are responsible for the day-to-day management of the body's acid-base equilibrium?What breathing pattern, characterized by rapid and deep breaths, does the body use as an immediate compensation mechanism in metabolic acidosis?What condition causes increased acid production leading to metabolic acidosis due to the body producing excessive ketones?What laboratory test provides real-time measurements of pH, PCO2, and HCO3- to diagnose the nature of acidosis?In chronic metabolic acidosis, how does the body attempt to buffer circulating acid using skeletal reserves?What primary mechanism causes respiratory acidosis regarding CO2 and carbonic acid formation?What is the typical narrow range that the body strives to maintain the blood pH within for life?What negative effect on the cardiovascular system is noted when acidosis severely impairs the heart muscle's ability to contract?When treating metabolic acidosis caused by impaired kidney excretion, what substance is often prescribed for long-term management?