Kidneys Flashcards
What are the three distinct areas of the kidneys?
Outer region
Inner region
Innermost draining region
What is the organ of the kidney outer region?
Renal cortex
What is the organ in the inner region of the kidney?
Renal medulla
What organs make up for the innermost draining region of the kidney?
Minor and major calyx, renal pelvis
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
The nephron
List the basic structures of the nephron.
Glomerulus in bowman’s capsule Proximal convoluted tubule Henle’s loop Collecting duct Distant convoluted tubule Afferent and efferent arterioles
These are a specialized capillary network that are supported by a unique basement membrane.
Glomerulus
What is the function of the glomerulus?
To filter excess fluid and waste products out of the blood into the urine collecting tubules.
What is the main barrier between urine and blood?
The basement membrane
This unit is the beginning of the tubule system. It encases the glomerulus.
Bowman’s capsule
What is the tubular function of the kidneys?
To reabsorb certain substances back into the bloodstream
What does the proximal tubules does?
Reabsorbs ~75% of water and sodium, 95% of glucose, bicarbonate, aa, ions and small molecules.
What is the most metabolically active component of the kidney?
The proximal convoluted tubule
The proximal tubules also put into urine substances like what?
Urea
Ammonia
Potassium
Hydrogen
What does the distal tubule do?
Reabsorbs salt, water, bicarbonate and eliminates uric acid, ammonia, hydrogen
Under the control of what two hormones does the distal tubule function?
Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)
Aldosterone
What component of the nephron contains the macula densa for Rene in production?
Distal tubules
Parts of this cells found in the kidney distal tubules is used in part to synthesize renin
Macula densa
What is renin?
It is a hormone that controls blood pressure
When is renin made by the macula densa?
When decreased blood pressure has been detected
What is another name for ADH?
Vasopressin
Where is ADH made?
In the brain
What is the function of ADH?
ADH helps in regulating urine output through water volume only
How does ADH regulates a decrease in blood volume?
A decrease in blood volume results in an increased blood osmolality which will increase ADH and cause a decrease in urine output, increasing blood volume
Where is aldosterone made?
In the adrenal gland
What is the function of aldosterone?
Regulate sodium and potassium
How does aldosterone regulate sodium and potassium?
Increased aldosterone reduces sodium excretion and increases potassium excretion resulting in increased serum sodium and decreased serum potassium
What’sthe route of the RAAS in fixing a decrease in blood pressure/volume?
Decreased BP/BP - increased renin production - increased angiotensinogen production- increased angiotensin II production - vasoconstriction- increased BP/BV
What step is modified in the RAAS in increasing BP/BV with aldosterone production?
Vasoconstriction is modified with increased aldosterone production - sodium reabsorption then increased BP/BV
