Glomerular Filtration Flashcards
What is the renal function?
Process the plasma portion of the blood by removing substances from it and, in a few cases, by adding substances to it
What are the functions of the kidneys?
Regulation of water, inorganic ion balance, and acid-base balance
Removal of metabolic waste products from the blood and their excretion in the urine
Removal of foreign chemicals from the blood and their excretion in the urine
Gluconeogenesis
Which hormones and enzymes are produced by the kidneys?
Erythropoietin
Renin
Conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
What is the purpose of erythropoietin?
Controls erythrocyte production
What is the function of renin?
Controls formation of angiotensin, which influences blood pressure and sodium balance
What is the function of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D?
Influences calcium balance
What are the three basic renal processes?
Glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption and tubular secretion
Synthesis and catbolism of certain substances
What does the excretion of a substance equal to?
The amount filtered plus the amount secreted minus the amount reabsorbed
What % of the plasma enters the glomerulus and is filtered?
20%
What happebs ti the remaining 80% of the plasma?
Enters the glomerulus but is NOT filtered and leaves through the efferent arterioles and into the peritubular capillaries
What is secretion?
The movement of substances from peritubular to tubular or epithelial cells into the lumen of the tubule
What is the pathway of the plasma once entering the renal artery?
Renal artery, afferent arteriole, glomerulus, efferent arteriole, peritubular capillaries
What is glomerular filtration?
Nondiscriminant filtration of protein-free plasms from the glomerulus into Bowman’s capsule
What is excretion?
Removal of substances in the urine
What is reabsorption?
Selective movement of filtered substances from the tubular lumen into the peritubular capillaries
Where does glomerular filtration occur?
From the glomerular capillary into the Bowman’s capsule
Where does tubular secretion occur?
From the peritubular capillary to Bowman’s capsule
Where does tubular reabsorption occur?
From the Bowman’s space into the vein
What is the equation for the amount excreted?
Amount filtered + amount secreted - amount reabsorbed
Do the renal processes apply to all substances?
No, for instance, 100% of glucose and amino acids are reabsorbed because they are needed in the body
What happens to the toxins in the kidneys?
Secreted and not reabsorbed, excreted from the body
What are the three layers that make up the glomerular membrane?
The glomerular capillary wall
The basement membrane (acellular membrane)
The inner layer of Bowman’s capsule
What is the function of the three layers ?
A fine molecular sieve that retains the blood cells and plasma proteins but permits H2O and solutes of small molecular dimension to filter through
What is the space between the podocytes?
Filtration slit
What does the glomerular filtarte contain?
All plasma substances other than protein (and substances bound to proteins) in virtually the same concentration as in plasma
What is the force that drives the glomerular filtration?
Hydrostatic pressue in glomerular capillaries
What are the forces that oppose the glomerular filtration?
Hydrostatic pressure in Bowman’s space and the osmotic force due to the proteins in the glomerular capillary plasma
What is the net difference favoring filtration?
Net glomerular filtration pressure
Why the osmotic pressure in Bowman’s capsule not considered?
It is 0, thus it does not count. The reason for that is the fact that osmotic pressure is determined by proteins and proteins are NOT filtered
What is the glomerular filtration rate? (GFR)
The volume of fluid filtered from the glomeruli into Bowman’s space per unit time
Why are the glomeruli of the kidney much more efficient than the other capillary beds in the body?
Filtration membrane is a large surface area and very permeable to water and solutes
Glomerular pressure is higher so they produce 180L/day vs 3 to 4L/day formed by other capillaries
What are the forces that favour filtration?
Glomerular capillary blood pressure
Net foltration pressure
What is the pressure inside the kidney glomeruli?
About 55mmHg
What are the forces that oppose filtration?
Plasma colloid osmotic pressure
Bowmanm’s hydrostatic pressure