Anatomy and Physiology of the Kidney Flashcards
What are the three main processes performed by the nephron?
Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
What makes up the renal corpuscle?
Bowman’s capsule
Glomerulus capillaries
What specialisations do simple squamous cells have and where are they found in the kidney?
Allow passive movement
Small intracellular volume - less need for mitochondria for energy or protein
Bowman’s capsule
Thin descending limb
Thin ascending limb
What specialisations do simple cuboidal cells have and where are they found in the kidney?
Large intracellular volume - mitochondria for energy and protein for transporters.
Good for reabsorption
Thick ascending limb of loop of Henle
Distal tubule
What specialisations to simple columnar cells have and where are they found in the kidney?
Large intracellular volume
High organelle density for energy reserves.
Good for motility, absorption and procession.
Found along the collecting duct.
What are the four functions of the kidney?
Regulation of body fluid volume
Regulation of body fluid composition
Excretion of metabolic waste and toxins
Endocrine functions
What two parts make up the uriniferous tubule?
Nephron
Collecting duct
Name the four parts of the nephron.
Renal corpuscle
Proximal tubule
Loop of Henle
Distal tubule
Describe the blood supply of the kidney
Renal artery –> segmental artery –> interlobar arteries –> arcuate arteries –> interlobular arteries –> afferent and efferent arterioles
What is the main extracellular fluid cation and anion?
Cation - sodium
Anion - chloride
What is the main intracellular cation and anion?
Cation - potassium
Anion - phosphate
What are the five human tissue types?
Epithelia, muscle, connective tissue, blood, nervous tissue
What makes up the uriniferous tubule?
Nephron and collecting duct
What is the name of the capillaries around the nephron (low pressure)?
Peritubular capillaries - for reabsorption and secretion
What are the capillaries in Bowman’s capsule called?
Glomerular capillaries - high pressure for filtration
What makes up the renal corpuscle? (2)
Glomerulus
Bowman’s Capsule
Name the capillaries in the medulla around the Loop of Henle?
Vasa recta
What is the outer layer of Bowman’s capsule called?
What is its purpose?
What epithelial cell type is it made of?
Parietal layer
Containment
Simple squamous
What is the inner layer of Bowman’s capsule called?
What is its purpose?
What epithelial cell type is it made of?
Visceral layer
Filtration
Modified simple squamous (podocytes)
Name the layers of the glomerular filtration barrier (3)
Glomerular capillary endothelium (fenestrated)
Basement membrane (negative charge)
Epithelium (podocytes)
How does the filtration barrier limit the passage of certain substances?
Glomerular capillary endothelium - size
Basement membrane - repels -ve charges
Epithelium (podocytes) - shape
What two things are excluded from filtrate?
Blood cells
Plasma proteins
Where does the majority of water, sodium, chloride, amino acid, and glucose reabsorption take place?
Proximal tubule
Name the functions of the proximal tubule
Reabsorb - water, sodium, chloride, amino acids, glucose.
Secrete - drugs and waste molecules
What type of cells are found in the proximal tubule?
Simple cuboidal cells with microvilli (brush border to increase surface area).
Cuboidal cells have larger intracellular space - room for mitochondria to make transport proteins
Is the thin descending limb permeable or impermeable to water?
Permeable
What type of epithelium does the thin descending limb have?
Simple squamous epithelium
Is the thin ascending limb permeable or impermeable to water?
Impermeable
What type of epithelium does the thin ascending limb have?
Simple squamous epithelium
Do active or passive movements take place in the thin descending and ascending limbs?
Passive
Is the thick ascending limb permeable or impermeable to water?
Impermeable
What type of epithelial cell does the thick ascending limb have?
Simple cuboidal
What takes place in the thick ascending limb?
Active reabsorption of sodium and other solutes
What type of epithelial cells are found in the distal tubule?
Simple cuboidal
Is the distal tubule permeable or impermeable to water?
Variable depending on the presence of ADH
What forms the juxtaglomerular apparatus?
Macula densa
Extraglomerular mesangial cells (Lacis cells)
Granualar/Juxtaglomerular cells in afferent arteriole
Name the specialist cells in the early distal tubule at the JGA
Macula densa
What solutes does the macula densa detect?
Sodium
Chloride
Is the collecting duct permeable or impermeable to water?
Variable depending on the presence of ADH
What type of cells are found in the collecting duct?
Simple columnar
Define osmosis
The passive transport of water across a semipermeable membrane down a concentration gradient
What is the main osmotically active electrolyte in extracellular fluid?
Sodium
What is the main osmotically active electrolyte in intercellular fluid?
Potassium
What hormone is produced in the kidney in a hypoxic state?
What does it do?
Erythropoietin
Stimulates production of RBC precursors in bone marrow
Which enzyme is produced in the kidney to convert the inactive precursor of vitD to its active form?
1a-hydroxylase
How do you formulate the urinary excretion rate?
Filtration rate + secretion rate - reabsorption rate
What is glomerular filtration rate?
The volume of filtrate formed by all the nephrons in both kidneys per unit time.
What is the equation for GFR
GFR = Kf x NFP
Kf = glomerular capillary filtration coefficient
NFP = net filtration pressure
What determines the glomerular capillary filtration coefficient (Kf)
Surface area for filtration (how many nephrons available)
Hydraulic conductivity (permeability) of the filtration barrier (3 layers of renal corpuscle)
What increases eGFR?
arterioles
AA dilation and/or EA constriction
What decreases eGFR?
arterioles
AA constriction and/or EA dilation
Name 3 substances that have an affect on glomerular pressure
Angiotensin II - constricts EA
Prostaglandins - vasodilate AA
Noradrenaline - vasoconstrict AA
Why do peritubular capillaries favour reabsorption?
High oncotic pressure (concentrated plasma proteins) and low capillary hydrostatic pressure (fluid on vessel walls)
What are the two mechanisms of autoregulation of eGFR?
Myogenic response
Tubuloglomerular feedback
At which vertebral level is the hilum of the kidney?
L1
Which vertebral levels does the kidney normally sit between?
T11 - L2/3
Which paracrine factor is released in HTN in the tubuloglomerular feedback system?
What does this cause?
Adenosine
Constriction of AA smooth muscle
Which endocrine factor is released in hypotension in the Tubuloglomerular feedback system?
Which cells is it released from?
What does it cause?
Renin
Gramilin cells
Constriction of EA muscle
What does low quantities of sodium chloride in the macula densa cause?
Secretion of renin.
Afferent arteriole dilation
What type of epithelium is found on the lining of the bladder?
Transitional epithelium
Which nerve supplies the urinary sphincters?
Pudendal nerve S2-4
Describe the type of muscle in the urinary sphincters
Internal sphincters - smooth muscle (involuntary)
External sphincters - skeletal muscle (voluntary)
Where do sensory nerves from the superior part of the bladder (on the peritoneum) travel to?
T12-L2
Travel to CNS with sympathetic nerves
Where do sensory nerves inferior to the peritoneum travel to?
S2-4
Travel to CNS with parasympathetic nerves
How do NSAIDs reduce eGFR?
Inhibit prostaglandin production - AA become constricted - reduces eGFR
How do ACEi/ARB reduce eGFR?
Prevent production/action of angiotensin II - EA become dilated - reduces eGFR
Where do carbonic anhydrase inhibitors have their site of action?
Proximal tubule
Where do osmotic diuretics have their site of action?
Proximal tubule and descending loop of Henle
Where do loop diuretics have their site of action?
Ascending loop of Henle
Where do thiazides have their site of action?
Early distal tubule
Where do potassium sparing diuretics have their site of action?
Late distal tubule and collecting duct.
Name the five classes of diuretics
Potassium sparing diuretics Osmotic diuretics Loop diuretics Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors Thiazide diuretics
How do loop diuretics cause hypokalaemia?
Increased delivery of Na+ to distal tubule –> increased uptake of Na+ in distal tubule –> secretion of K+.
How to carbonic anhydrase inhibitors lead to metabolic acidosis?
Prevents absorption of HCO3- into blood –> less alkaline in blood –> more acidic environment in blood.
Prevents secretion of H+ molecules –> more intra/extracellular.
Describe the location of the uriniferous tubule in relation to the cortex and medulla of the kidney
Cortex - mainly renal corpuscles, proximal tubule, distal tubule
Medulla - mostly LoH and collecting ducts
What factor determines if a nephron is cortical or juxtamedullary?
The position of the renal corpuscle
Where can arcuate arteries be found?
Running along the corticomedullary junction
Name the 2 capillary beds that blood passes through in the kidney
Glomerular capillaries
- high pressure
- filtration
Peritubular capillaries
- low pressure
- reabsorption/secretion
What type of cells provide support between the glomerular capillary loops?
Mesangial cells
What 5 things are reabsorbed in the PCT?
Sodium
Water
Chloride
Amino acids
Glucose
What is the net result of filtrate passing through the loop of Henle?
Produce concentrated urine
Hyperosmolar interstitium in medulla
What surrounds the collecting duct of a nephron?
What is the key role of the collecting duct?
Medullary interstitium with a high concentration of solutes
Produces a concentration gradient
Key role in regulating degree of urine concentration
In a typical male, what % of body weight is water?
60%
42 litres
42 litres total in a typical male, how much is intracellular and extracellular?
Intracellular - 28 litres
Extracellular - 14 litres
What are the 2 main compartments of extracellular fluid (ECF)?
Interstitial fluid - surrounds the cells
Plasma - non-cellular component of blood
What separates intracellular and extracellular fluid?
Semipermeable membranes
What is the main difference between plasma and interstitial fluid?
Plasma has proteins in it
Capillary membrane is highly permeable to water and electrolytes but not to most plasma proteins
What type of anaemia can be seen in kidney disease?
Explain the pathophysiology
Normochromic normocytic
Kidneys release erythropoietin in respons to hypoxia
Erythropoietin is a growth factor that stimulates to production of hematopoietic stem cells (RBC precursors) in bone marrow
Fewer RBCs being made = anaemia
What 5 factors can decrease tissue oxygenation?
Low blood volume
Anemia
Low Hb
Poor blood flow
Pulmonary disease
Which 2 muscles are posterior relations of the kidney?
Psoas major
Quadratus lumborum
Is the kidney inter or retro peritoneal?
Retroperitoneal
What is Morrison’s pouch?
Space between liver and R kidney.
Potential space for infection to spread into when lying down (gravity dependent)
What space communicates across the midline between both kidneys, and therefore is a potential route of infection spread?
Renal fascia space
From closest to furthest, which 3 fats/fascia surround the kidney?
Perinephric fat
surrounded by Renal Fascia
Paranephric fat
surrounded by Psoas Fascia
What does the kidney develop from in utero?
Metanephros (intermediate mesoderm)
Ureteric bud
Describe the formation of the blood supply to the kidney
Kidneys start at lower vertebral level, have to ascend
Gets new blood supply as it ascends
Can cause problems
What is a polar renal artery?
Kidney with 2 arteries
1 is a remnant of kidney being at a lower vertebral level
What is an aberrant renal artery?
A second renal artery that blocks the ureter
Can cause decreased renal function