Our kidneys perform several critical functions for regulating blood pH including controlling the concentration of bicarbonate in our blood.

Our kidneys perform several critical functions for regulating blood pH including controlling the concentration of bicarbonate in our blood. When damaged, the kidneys can sometimes excrete too much bicarbonate in the urine.

a) Would blood pH increase or decrease if this happened? Would the blood become more basic or more acidic? Explain your reasoning 

b) How might the proteins in our body be affected by our kidneys expelling too much bicarbonate?