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but it's just the way the chemistry plays out: dissolved CO2 molecules combine with water to form what's called carbonic acid, which in turn combines with carbonate to form hydrogen carbonate.
molecules combine with water to form what's called carbonic acid, which in turn combines
but as limestone deposits are eroded by water, the calcium carbonate is broken down to eventually form, among other things, carbon dioxide and carbonic acid.
among other things, carbon dioxide and carbonic acid.
That carbon dioxide can diffuse into a cell and react with water to form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks into a proton and bicarbonate.
Another situation is when living cells get affected by respiratory acidosis, which is when the carbon dioxide levels rise because a person isn't breathing or ventilating it out of the lungs quickly enough that carbon dioxide can diffuse into a cell and react with water to form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks into a proton and bicarbonate.
And when that CO2 dissolves in water, it creates carbonic acid.
These are both things the carbonic acid in bubbly water gets blamed for.
CO2 is [a molecule] that dissolves in water and becomes carbonic acid
By being exposed to air, the water absorbs some CO2, and a tiny portion of that, about 0.13%, is converted into carbonic acid.
Some carbonic acid will then lose a proton or two, forming bicarbonate or carbonate respectively.