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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: tortoise on March 07, 2007, 12:32:16 AM

Title: most alkaline
Post by: tortoise on March 07, 2007, 12:32:16 AM

which is the most alkaline?
a) sea water
b) tomato
c) black coffee
d) (unpolluted) rain
e) urine

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: Bakegaku on March 07, 2007, 12:44:42 AM

What are your thoughts and attempts?

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: tortoise on March 07, 2007, 05:24:56 AM

well, i just guess, urine ?

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: wilson on March 07, 2007, 06:15:39 AM

Quote from: tortoise on March 07, 2007, 05:24:56 AM

well, i just guess, urine ?

Why urine? Our urine has uric acid.

If you do a proper search on the internet, and you should get the answer.

Just to help you a bit more:
Unpolluted rain is mildly acidic because of weak carbonic acid arising when carbon dioxide dissociates in water.
Tomato contains ascorbic acid.

You are left with black coffee and seawater.

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: Borek on March 07, 2007, 07:09:19 AM

Quote from: wilson on March 07, 2007, 06:15:39 AM

Our urine has uric acid.

And not urea? I think uric acid is present in birds droppings but not in mammals urine.

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: AWK on March 07, 2007, 07:25:18 AM

Content of urea in urine is small (except in some patologies), and it does not influence on pH of urine (it is practically a neutral substance)

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: Borek on March 07, 2007, 10:10:44 AM

I am not referring to the amount and to the effect on the pH, just to the fact that in general our bodies don't produce uric acid as a way of getting rid of metabolised nitrogen.

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: AWK on March 07, 2007, 10:24:29 AM

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in blood (hypeuricemia). Uric acid is derived from the breakdown of purines

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: Borek on March 07, 2007, 11:00:57 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uric_acid

Quote

Uric acid is also the end product of nitrogen catabolism in birds and reptiles. In such species, it is excreted in feces as a dry mass. While this compound is produced through a complex and energetically costly metabolic pathway (in comparison to other nitrogenated wastes such as urea or ammonia), its elimination minimizes water loss. It is therefore commonly found in the excretions of animals that live in very dry environments like the kangaroo rat.

Title: Re: most alkaline
Post by: AhmedEzatAlzawalaty on March 15, 2007, 08:06:03 PM

for sure it is the black coffe most alkaline as it contains a high percentage of alkaloids