B12 Flashcards
What is urea?
Made in the liver through deamination where excess amino acids are converted to fats and carbs for storage. It is nitrogenous waste.
What is the function of the kidneys?
To filter the blood of waste products such as urea, water and ions.
How do the kidneys work?
They are full of nephrons which have tubles absorbing small molecules such as urea(filtration). Then we reabsorb what we want to keep(selective reabsorption).
What is selective reabsorbsion?
When all the glucose is reabsorbed into the blood by diffusion and active transport. However the amount that is reabsorbed varies, which is known as selective reabsorption.
What is ADH?
It is when water levels are too low, which is detected by the hypothalamus and sends a signal to the pituitary gland. This releases ADH and then the kidney reabsorbs water. If water levels are too high then it sends less ADH reabsorbing little.
What is dialysis?
The function of the kidney being carried out artificially.
How is dialysis carried out?
It connects the blood supply to the machine, goes in and comes into contact with a dialysis fluid through a partially permeable membrane. This filters out bad small molecules. This is constantly replaced due to the concentration gradient becoming less steep throughout so the effectiveness decreases.
Negatives of dialysis?
Follow a controlled diet, long dialysis sessions. Long term it can be expensive.
What is the problem of kidney transplants?
There are not many, they could be rejected by the antigens, however if they use a close tissue type or immunosuppressant drugs they are less likely to be rejected.
How does the blood flow in the kidney?
In through the renal arteries and out through the renal vein.
What is kidney faluire?
It is when you are unable to regulate water and ion levels. It causes waste products to build up in the blood stream.
Why is water regulation so important?
Cells gain or lose water through osmosis so too much causes them to swell and possibly burst. Too little causes them to shrink.
What is in the dialysis fluid?
It is a mixture containing the normal amounts of the molecules normally found in blood.
