How the Kidneys Remove Extra Acid

The kidneys remove extra acid to help keep body fluids at the right pH. Metabolic reactions in the body produce nonvolatile acids, such as sulfuric acid. That creates an acid load of about 1 mEq of H+ per kilogram of body weight each day. Excreting H+ in the urine is essential to balance this load.

Metabolic reactions within the body generate nonvolatile acids, such as sulfuric acid.

The body tackles this large acid load by regulating the renal reabsorption and secretion of hydrogen and bicarbonate ions.

In the nephron's proximal convoluted tubules, the sodium-hydrogen antiporters secrete hydrogen ions while reabsorbing sodiu...