8. Renal Physiology Flashcards
Name the 4 main functions of the kidneys.
1) Excretion of metabolic waste products (ingestion/metabolism) and foreign chemicals
2) Regulation of water and electrolyte balance
3) Regulation of body fluid osmolality and electrolyte concentrations
4) Regulation of acid-base balance
Name the 4 indirect functions of the kidney.
1) Regulation of arterial pressure
2) Regulation of erythrocyte production
3) Secretion, metabolism and excretion of hormones
4) Gluconeogenesis
Describe the General Organisation of the Kidney
Two Kidneys, Hilum (Renal Artery, vein, lymphatics, Nerve, Ureter), tough fibrous capsule and inner medulla.
List the components of the inner medulla.
Renal Pyramids, Cortex-medulla border, Papilla and Renal Pelvis (contains major calyces. minor calyces - collect urine from the tubules of each papilla).
Describe the Renal Blood Supply.
Has a renal artery and vein, Afferent arterioles lead to glomerular capillaries. Then to efferent arterioles. The kidney tubules are also surrounded by peritubular capillaries. Two capillaries seperated by efferent arteriole. 22% of cardiac output.
Name the 5 parts of the nephron.
Renal Corpuscle, Proximal Convoluted Tubule, Loop of Henle, Distal Convoluted Tubule and Collecting duct.
Do nephrons regenerate?
No - ageing involves loss of nephrons
What structure surrounds the glomerulus?
Bowman’s capsule
What are the differences between cortical nephrons and Juxtamedullary nephrons?
Cortical: Glomeruli in cortex, short loops of Henle, Short distance to medulla
Juxtamedullary: Long loops of Henle, Deep into medulla, long efferent arterioles and has specialised peritubular capillaries to form concentrated urine.
Name the 3 basic renal processes.
Glomerular Filtration, Tubular Reabsorption and tubular Secretion
What occurs during Glomerular Filtration?
Movement of fluid from the blood into lumen of nephron
What occurs during Tubular Reabsorption?
Movement of substances of value to the body in the filtrate from the lumen of the tubules back into the blood flowing through peritubular capillaries
What occurs during Tubular Secretion?
Selected transfer of sunstances from peritubular capillaires into the lumen. Second route for substances to enter renal tubules.
What is found in the glomerular filtrate?
Water, Electrolytes, Waste and Nutrients but NOT PLASMA PROTEINS
What happens if all the water and dissolved solutes move out of the glomeruli into the lumen of the nephron?
Formation of sludge of RBC which remains in glomeruli and doesn’t flow in the blood.
Name the 3 layers that make up the glomerular membrane.
Glomerular Capillary Wall, Basement membrane and Inner layer of Bowman’s capsule.
What is the role of the 3 layers that make up the glomerular membrane?
Acts as a fine molecular sieve that retains the blood cells and plasma proteins but permits water and solutes of small molecular dimensions to filter through.
What is the structure of the Glomerular Capillary wall?
Single layer of flattened endothelial cells, perforated with large pores and is 100x more permeable to water and solute than capillaries elsewhere in the body.
What is the structure of the Basement membrane?
Acellular, Collagen and glycoproteins discourage filtration of small plasma proteins. Glycoproteins are negatively charges and they repel plasma proteins also resulting in protein free urine.
What is the structure of Inner layer Bowman’s capsule?
Contains Podocytes and filtration flits. The fluid leaving the glomerular capillaires enter the lumen of the bowman’s capsule.
Name the two constituents of glomerular capillary blood pressure.
Blood pressure and Resistance
What creates the plasma-colloid osmotic pressure?
Plasma proteins in capillaries and water down concentration gradient.
What creates Bowman’s capsule hydrostatic pressure?
Pressure exerted by the fluid in this iniial part of the tubules out of the Bowman’s capsule.
What is Glomerular Filtration rate and what does it depend upon?
The actual rate of filtration and it depends not only on the net filtration pressure, but also on how much glomerular surface area is avaliable for penetration and how permeable the glomerular membrane is.
Is the glomerular filtration rate relatively constant?
yes - If arterial BP increases, so does the capillary BP and GFR also increases.
What causes the afferent arteriole to constrict?
GFR increases and BP increases. (want to reduce the BP)
Describe the process of Tubular Reabsorption.
Selective Process. Tubule wall is one cell thick and close to the surrounding peritubular capillary. It happens by transepithelial transport through 5 barriers via eityher passive or active reabsorption.
Name the 5 barriers between the tubular lumen and peritubular capillary.
Luminal Cell Membrane, Cytosol, Basolateral Cell Membrane, Interstitial Fluid and Capillary Wall.
What is the difference between passive and active reabsorption?
Passive: down electrochemical or osmotic gradients
Active: against an electrochemical gradient
Where is most of Na+ ions reabsorbed and why are they reabsorbed at this location?
67% at proximal Tubule - linked to reabsorption of glucose, amino acids, water, Cl- and urea.
What is the function of reabsorption of Na+ in the loop of Henle?
Linked to the production of concentrated urine.
What is the function of reabsorption of Na+ in the Distal and Collecting Tubule.
Linked to long term control of blood pressure and linked with K+ secretion
Where in the nephron can Na+ not be reabsorbed?
Descending part of the loop of Henle
How is intracellular Na+ concentration kept low?
Basolateral pump exchanges Na+ out of the tubular cells into the lateral space for a molecules of K+ (NA+-K+ ATPase pump) This maintains low concentration of Na+ in the cell.
Why does intracellular Na+ concentration need to be low?
Low concentration in the tubular cells allows passive movement of Na+ from the tubular lumen due to having a higher concentration. They move via Na+ symporters in the proximal tubule and Na+ leak channel in the collecting duct.
How does Na+ get into the peritubular capillaries?
High concentration in lateral space so Na+ diffuses down concentration gradient into interstitial fluid and into peritubular capillary blood
What is the role of Aldosterone?
Stimulates Na+ reabsorption in the distal and collecting tubules. Too little Na+ in the bloodstream resulting in more being reabsorbed and less excreted in urine. Release of aldosterone happens in response to circulating ANGII acting on the adrenal cortex.
Fill in the Words: In the ________ and ________, there is always a constant percentage of Na+ reabsorbed regardless of Na+ load.
Proximal Tubule and Loop of Henle
Name the 2 types of tubular cells found in the distal and collecting tubule.
Intercalated (involved in acid-base balance) and Principal (Releases Aldosterone and Vasopressin)
What is the role of Natriuretic Peptides?
They inhibit Na+ reabsorption. Indirectly lower BP. Reduce Na+ load and hence fluid load. Reduce Cardiac Output
What is the difference between RAAS-renal handling of Na+ and Natriuretic peptide hormones handling of Na+?
RAAS - Na+ retaining, blood pressure raising system
Natriuretic peptide hormones - Na+ losing, Blood pressure lowering system.
What triggers release of Natriuretic peptide from the heart?
Heart muscle being mechanically stretched. Stored in granules.
How do Natriuretic peptides carry out their role?
Inhibit Renin secretion by the kidney
Inhibit Aldosterone secretion from adrenal cortex
Inhibit secretion and actions of vasopressin.