Excretory System

Question 1

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Answer 1

hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary which prevents dehydration -> travels to distal tubule and collecting duct, making them more permeable to water :. water is retained in the body

Question 2

Adrenal cortex

Answer 2

outer portion of the adrenal glands; produces steroid hormones which regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism, regulating salt/water balance in the body

Question 3

Afferent arteriole

Answer 3

small arteries that deliver blood TO the glomeruli, associated with urine formation

Question 4

Efferent arteriole

Answer 4

small artery conducting blood AWAY from the glomerulus, associated with urine formation

Question 5

Bowman’s capsule

Answer 5

specialized beginning of a nephron tubule

Question 6

Collecting duct

Answer 6

final region of a nephron that urine flows through to enter the renal pelvis

Question 7

Glomerulus

Answer 7

capillaries lying between afferent and efferent arterioles in the renal cortex; in urine formation, fluid is forced from the glomerulus and into Bowman’s capsule (pressure filtration)

Question 8

Homeostasis

Answer 8

set of processes that function to maintain a consant internal environment

Question 9

Hypothalamus

Answer 9

responds to blood conditions and produces chemical substances to maintain homeostasis

Question 10

Loop of Henle

Answer 10

middle region of a nephron between the proximal and distal convoluted tubules

Question 11

Metabolic waste

Answer 11

waste products from cellular metabolic activity (ie. CO2, O2, NH3)

Question 12

Nephron

Answer 12

functional unit of a kidney –> microscopic tubular structure beginning with Bowman’s capsule; combined function is the production of urine

Question 13

Nitrogenous waste

Answer 13

metabolic waste containing nitrogen (NH3)

Question 14

Osmotic pressure

Answer 14

force exerted by water on a membrane due to concentration differences; significant force in CT fluid exchange and water recovery in kidney function

Question 15

Peritubular capillary network

Answer 15

capillary bed that surrounds a nephron in the kidneys

Question 16

Posterior pituitary

Answer 16

portion of the pituitary that controls the volume of water in blood vs. urine via ADH

Question 17

Pressure filtration

Answer 17

filtration process that occurs at the interface of the glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule, results in hypertonic blood

Question 18

Proximal tubule

Answer 18

part of nephron between Bowman’s capsule and loop of Henle; specialized to allow the selective reabsorption of nutrient molecules and other components that are still useful (tubular secretion)

Question 19

Distal tubule

Answer 19

part of nephron between loop of Henle and collecting duct; regulate pH and composition of plasma by excreting excess H+, histamines, etc.; can absorb specific ions (tubular excretion)

Question 20

Renal artery

Answer 20

branch of the aorta which directs blood into a kidney

Question 21

Renal cortex

Answer 21

outside portion of a kidney where the glomeruli, afferent/efferent arterioles, Bowman’s capsule and the convoluted tubules are located

Question 22

Renal medulla

Answer 22

inner tissue region of a kidney where the loops of Henle and collecting ducts are located

Question 23

Renal pelvis

Answer 23

innermost chamber of a kidney; collects urine from the various collecting ducts and retains it until it can be conducted to the urinary bladder via ureter

Question 24

Renal vein

Answer 24

conducts blood out of a kidney and into the posterior vena cava

Question 25

Selective reabsorption

Answer 25

process occuring along the proximal convoluted tubule to reabsorb useful components of the filtrate; requires lots of energy

Question 26

Tubular excretion

Answer 26

excretion process that occurs at the distal convoluted tubule

Question 27

Tubular secretion

Answer 27

moves needed ions back into blood, ie. bicarbonate ions, which raise pH of blood

Question 28

Urea

Answer 28

nitrogenous waste made from ammonia by the liver; results from deamination of amino acids and excreted in urine

Question 29

Ureter

Answer 29

muscular tubes that use peristalsis to conduct urine from the renal pelvis of kidneys to be stored in urinary bladder (temporary)

Question 30

Urethra

Answer 30

muscular tube that conducts urine from the urinary bladder to the outside during excretion; movement of urine in and out is controlled by sphincter muscles