B12 - Homeostasis In Action Flashcards
What is the main jobs of the Kidneys?
To filter out the blood and remove all of the waste the body doesn’t want
Regulating the levels of ions and water
What is the main waste product that the kidneys filter out?
Urea
Where is Urea made?
In the liver by the process of deamination
What does ‘Deamination’ mean?
Where excess amino acids are converted to fats and carbs for storage
If the levels of ions and water become too high or too low, what happens to our body?
It starts to damage our cells
How is water lost from the body?
Urine
Sweat
Lungs when we breathe
If there is too much water in your body, what happens to your cells?
They can swell and burst
If there is too little water in your body, what happens to your cells?
Your cells can shrink leading to more damage
Inside the brain their is a structure called the Hypothalamus. What does it do?
It detects the concentration of water in the blood stream
What happens when the hypothalamus detects that the water concentration in the blood stream is too low?
The hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland to release a hormone called ADH
What does ADH do when its produced and released into the blood stream? (Assuming the water levels are low)
it travels the kidneys and tells the tubials to reabsorb more water into the blood. This means there is less urine
What happens when the hypothalamus detects that the water concentration in the blood stream is too HIGH?
The hypothalamus wills stop sending signals to the pituitary gland.
Meaning less ADH is released
And the tubials will reabsorb less water into the blood - leading to more urine
What are the main consequences of kidney failure?
Waste substances will buildup inthe blood stream
In ability to regulate ions and water
How can you treat mild kidney disease?
Prescribed medication
What are the only 2 ways kidney failure can be treated?
Dialysis or a Kidney Transplant
What do dialysis machines do?
Artificially filter a patients blood
How does a dialysis machine work?
The patients blood flows into the machine and passes through a special filter called a dialyzer. This removes waste by osmosis and cleans the blood before it is passed back into the patients bloodstream
What are the disadvantages of dialysis?
Time consuming - 4hours each time, 4 days a week for the rest of your life
Can cause blood clots
Very expensive to run
What is a kidney transplant?
A surgical procedure where a healthy kidney is transferred to a patient that needs it
What is the main risk of kidney transplant?
The new kidney can be rejected by the body
