Question

4. Uric acid has a pKa of 5.35 at 37o C in the urine and a functional pKa of 5.75 in blood plasma. Its anion, urate, has a solubility of about 20X that of uric acid. Uric acid calculi (stones) can form in the body and create very painful symptoms for patients. The normal urine pH is 4.8-7.4 with an average of 5.9. The normal pH of blood is 7.35-7.45. If a patient's blood pH was measured to be 7.42 and urine pH was measured to be 6.8 - which is more likely to precipitate first in the toe and which is more likely to precipitate first in the kidney tubule .... uric acid or urate?? (show your work, using the Henderson Hasselbach equation)

Answer 1