Editing Buffer solution (section)

{{Short description|Aqueous solution of a weak acid and its conjugate base}}
{{Acids and bases}}

A '''buffer solution''' is a solution where the pH does not change significantly on dilution or if an acid or base is added at constant temperature.<ref name="openstax">{{cite book|title= Anatomy and Physiology|author=J. Gordon Betts|publisher=OpenStax|chapter=Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning |date=25 April 2013 |url=https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/2-4-inorganic-compounds-essential-to-human-functioning|access-date=14 May 2023|isbn=978-1-947172-04-3}}</ref> Its pH changes very little when a small amount of [[strong acid]] or [[Base (chemistry)#Strong bases|base]] is added to it. Buffer solutions are used as a means of keeping pH at a nearly constant value in a wide variety of chemical applications. In nature, there are many [[living systems]] that use buffering for pH regulation. For example, the [[bicarbonate buffering system]] is used to regulate the [[pH]] of [[blood]], and bicarbonate also acts as a [[Ocean acidification|buffer in the ocean]].