Human Anatomy CH 24 Flashcards
What are the 3 main functions of the kidneys?
- Maintain the chemical consistency of blood
- Filter many liters of fluid from blood
- Send toxins, metabolic wastes, and excess water out of body
What are the 3 main waste products? What can they be generalized as?
Nitrogenous compounds
1. Urea
2. Uric acid
3. Creatinine
What organ is red-brown in color?
Kidneys
Where are the kidneys located? It is lateral to which vertebrae?
Retroperitoneally (behind peritoneum); lateral to T12-L3
What are the length, width, and height of the kidney?
12 cm tall, 6 cm wide, 3 cm thick
What is the concave surface of the kidney where vessels and nerves enter and exit?
Hilum
What is the capsule that surrounds the kidneys called? What is its function?
Fibrous Capsule
Inhibits spread of infections
What kind of tissue is the Fibrous Capsule made out of?
Dense connective tissue
What is external to the renal capsule?
Perirenal fat capsule
What is external to the perirenal fat capsule? What does this contain?
Renal fascia; contains fat
What is the superficial region of the kidney with a granular appearance?
Renal cortex
What is the renal medulla consisted of?
Cone-shaped renal pyramids
What 2 things compose the renal pelvis?
- Major calices
- Minor calices
What arteries branch into the segmental arteries? The segmental arteries branch into what arteries? What arteries branches off from the previous arteries?
Renal artery —> segmental arteries —> interlobar arteries —> arcuate arteries
Where is the nerve supply for the kidneys?
Renal plexus
What is the renal plexus? What is it an offshoot of?
Network of autonomic fibers that is an offshoot of the celiac plexus
The renal plexus is supplied by ____________ fibers from which 2 nerves?
Sympathetic fibers
1. Lowest thoracic splanchnic nerve
2. First lumbar splanchnic nerve
What is the functional unit of the kidney called? How many are present in each kidney?
Nephron
Over 1 million nephrons present in each kidney
What happens in filtration?
Filtrate of blood leaves kidney capillaries
What happens in resorption?
Most nutrients, water, and essential ions are reclaimed
What happens in secretion?
Active process of removing undesireable molecules
What 2 structures is a Nephron composed of?
- Renal tubule
- Renal corpuscle
What is the first part of the nephron called?
Renal corpuscle
What is the fenestrated tuft of capillaries within the Nephron called?
Glomerulus
What 2 layers makes up the Glomerular (Bowman’s) Capsule? What are these layers consisted of?
HINT: One of them is asking for tissue type
- Parietal layer - simple squamous epithelium
- Visceral layer - consists of podocytes
Where does the filtration membrane lie?
Lies between blood in glomerulus and capsular space
What 3 layers does the filtration membrane consist of? Where does each one lie?
- Filtration slits between foot processes of podocytes - Innermost
- Basement membrane - Middle
- Fenestrated endothelium of the capillary - Outermost
The basement membrane and slit diaphragm hold back what?
Most proteins
The basement membrane and slit diaphragm allows passage of what 5 substances?
- Water
- Ions
- Glucose
- Amino Acids
- Urea
Filtrate proceeds to what from the glomerulus?
Renal tubules
What tubule connects (comes before) the nephron loop?
Proximal convoluted tubule
The nephron loop connects to what 4 parts? Name them in order
- Descending limb
- Descending thin limb (DTL)
- Ascending thin limb (ATL)
- Thick ascending limb (TAL)
The distal convoluted tubule connects (comes before) what?
Collecting ducts