Bicarbonate

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In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate (American English: ; IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. It is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula HCO3–. Bicarbonate serves a crucial biochemical role in the physiological pH buffering system. The term "bicarbonate" was coined in 1814 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. In his original use the bi- referred to the presence of two carbonic acid derivatives in carbonates made by reaction with a base. Despite its modern use in reference to a molecule with only one carbon atom it lives on as a trivial name.

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