Describe the biological role of mineral salts and acids.

Mineral salts play a vital role in the acid-base balance of the body and thus regulate the pH of the blood and other body fluids. Minerals serve as essential components of many enzymes, vitamins, hormones and respiratory pigments, or as cofactors in metabolism, catalysts and enzyme activators.

Acids are important for living organisms because most enzymes can only do their job at a certain level of acidity. Cells secrete acids to maintain the correct pH for enzymes.