1. Glomerular filtration Flashcards
what are the three basic renal processes
- filtration
- reabsorption
- secretion
what is filtration
the formation of an essentially protein-free filtrate of plasma at the glomerular capillaries
what percentage of plasma is filtered out at one time
~20%
what is the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
around 180 l/day - very high so allows opportunity to precisely regulate ECF volume and composition and eliminate “nasty” substances
what happens during reabsorption
substances the body wants are retaken up and those it doesnt want stay in the tubule and are excreted
where does reabsorption take place
proximal or distal tube
what/what percentage of plasma is reabsorbed/filtered back
sugars, amino acids, Na, water, etc are reabsorbed
around 99% filtered back
what happens in secretion/excretion
substances may be specifically removed from the body
what 2 things is excretion particularly important for
drug metabolites
proton excretion for acid base balance
in basic terms how are drug metabolites excreted in the kidneys
drug metabolites broken down and processed by the liver to convert to water soluble substances – can then be actively excreted by the kidney
what percentage of total cardiac output do the kidneys receive
20-25% (~1200mls/min)
how long does it take for a volume of blood equal to total BV to pass through the renal circulation
<5 mins
as they get 20-25% of blood flow per minute
why is kidney haemorrhage particularly dangerous
due to high BV passing though - can bleed out in less than 5 mins
what components of plasma are excluded from filtration through the bowmens capsule
all cells - RBC< WBC, platelets, etc
*also only a tiny fraction of plasma gets filtered thorough the bowmens capsule
what percentage of total blood volume is plasma
~55%
what is the renal plasma row
around 660mls/min
what is the Glomerular Filtration Rate
around 125mls/min
what is the filtration fraction
GFR/renal plasma flow x100
= 19%
ie ~20% of the renal plasma become glomerular filtrate
what 2 forces is glomerular filtration dependent on
- hydrostatic forces from blood stream - pressure on top of fluids to drive through filter - favour filtration
- oncotic pressure forces (starlings forces) - osmotic effects - favour reabsorption
what is the main criteria for how effectively substances are filtered out
size - if small the filtrate ratio is 1 = concentration infiltrate is the same as plasma concentration
= get completely filtered out
apart from size what can also have an effect on how effectively substances are filtered out
charge of molecule and basement membrane that mediates the filtration process
how are different substances filtered out
by a “sandwich” system of different membranes
what are the three membranes that are part of the filtration process and what passes through them
- fenestrated glomerular endothelium - lets everything pass through except cells
- Basal lamina of glomerulus - prevents filtration of larger proteins
- slit membrane - prevents filtration of medium sized proteins