an intro to the kidney (mini learning) Flashcards
Where in the kidney does blood filtration occur ?
Renal cortex
the boarder around the renal pyramids
In which layer of the kidney are renal pyramids found ?
medullary layer
Roughly how many renal pyramids does each kidney have ?
8-10 is average
could be 7-18
Where does the urine drain into from the renal pyramids ?
minor calyx
Where does urine drain into after the minor calyx ?
major calyx
Where does the urine accumulate after leaving the major calyx ?
renal pelvis
Where does the urine go after the renal pelvis ?
leaves the kidney, via the ureter, to be stored in the bladder
What are the main functions of the kidney ?
- maintain ECFV (extracellular fluid volume)
- maintaining acid-base balance
- excretion of metabolic waste (urea, creatinine)
- endocrine secretion
How does the kidney maintain ECFV ?
regulates Na in the blood, causing osmotic action to follow
Which endocrine systems does the kidney regulate ?
- renin-angiotensin system
- erythropoietin production
- vitamin D activation
What effect does the number of nephrons in a persons kidney have on blood pressure ?
fewer nephrons = higher hypertension risk
Where does selective reabsorption of glomerular filtrate occur in the kidneys ?
- Proximal convoluted tubule
- Distal convoluted tubule
Where does ultrafiltration of glomerular filtrate occur in the kidneys ?
bowman’s capsule
Which arteriole of the glomerulus has a wider diameter ?
afferent in-coming arteriole
Which molecules are forced out of the glomerulus into the bowman’s capsule ?
small molecules
- water
- glucose
- urea
- ions
Which molecules do not leave the glomerulus in ultrafiltration ?
- proteins
- blood cells
What type of cells form the inner epithelial layer of the bowman’s capsule
podocytes
Where is 85% of glomerular filtrate reabsorbed ?
proximal convoluted tubule
What % of the glomerular filtrate is reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule ?
85%
Does the PCT epithelium have microvilli or not ?
yes, there are microvilli
Name all the arterial divisions within the kidney from the renal artery to the afferent arteriole…
- renal artery
- segmental arteries
- interlobar arteries
- arcuate arteries
- interlobular arteries
- afferent arterioles
Which arteries travel between the medullary pyramids ?
interlobar arteries
Which arteries travel along the top of the medullary pyramids ?
arcuate arteries
Which arteries project into the renal cortex, alongside the nephrons ?
interlobular arteries
Which arteries give off the afferent arterioles ?
interlobular arteries
What is the capillary network called that surrounds the nephron ?
vasa recta
Does the vasa recta drain into the renal artery or vein system ?
vein system to return the reabsorbed nutrients back into general circulation
Roughly, how much blood per minute is supplied to the kidneys?
1 litre/min
about 20% of cardiac output
Compared to other organs in the body, how many times larger is renal blood supply ?
the kidneys receive 10-50 times more blood than other organs
What is the name of the smallest protein found in blood ?
albumin
In a healthy patient, is albumin filtered out the blood into the bowman’s capsule via ultrafiltration ?
Some is filtered out into the bowman’s capsule, as it is the smallest protein, but not large quantities
What type of cells make up the outer epithelium of the bowman’s capsule ?
parietal cells