Kindey Function Flashcards
What is the main function of the Kidney? Extra: can you name all 6 in detail?
The homeostatic regulation of the extracellular fluid (ECF).
Laymen’s answer: they make urine!
Define homeostasis.
The process that biological systems use to maintain a stable internal environment while adjusting to changing external conditions.
What are the 4 components to a negative feedback system?
ECF osmolarity is the amount of water in your body relative to the amount of solutes in your body. How is ECF osmolarity regulated?
Define Hyper-, Iso-, Hypo- tonic
ECF volume is the amount of salt in your body. How is ECF volume regulated?
What does the extracellular fluid consist of?
Explain why blood volume reflects ECF volume, and how regulation is set up knowing that. (How do the Kidneys get involved)
Blood plasma makes up about 1/4th of the ECF, meaning blood volume is a reflection of the ECF volume. Which then makes sense why a majority of regulatory sensors for ECF volume are in the circulatory system.
Define hemorrhage.
Blood loss
If you have a problem with salt handling in the kidney what usually results?
High blood pressure (hypertension)
What is a very common way hypertension is treated?
Drugs that act as diuretics. They increase fluid excretion by increasing salt excretion.
What general waste is excreted by the kidneys? (Not regulation)
Drugs = xenobiotic
What hormones are produced by the kidneys?
Renin is a hormone the kidney produces. Explain how it works and what’s its function.
Triggered by drop in blood pressure.
Acts as enzyme (rate limiting step) to help make ANG 2.
ANG 2 the acts the preserve blood pressure by 1: making blood vessels constrict, 2: increase ECF volume.
Where is the urine collecting system? What anatomy is associated with it?
What is a nephron? What does it do?
Define what loops of Henle are, where are they found? Why is this important?
Found in the medulla of the kidney.
Important in creating a vertical osmotic gradient. (Saltier as it goes down)
The driving force for water reabsorption!
Can you name all the parts of a nephron (6), and if they belong to the cortex (4) or medulla (1) or both (1).
Give the broad overview of urine formation in the kidney.
Blood flows to glomerulus that is surrounded by Bowman’s capsule.
1st step of urine formation is filtration in the renal corpuscle.
The forming urine flows into proximal tubule, then into loop of Henle, then into distal tubule.
Then into collecting duct.
Define what Renal microcirculation is.
Notice how both efferent and Afferent tubes are arteriole! So: pressure is very high in these capillaries.
The efferent arteriole is a high resistance pathway for blood leaving the glomerular capillaries. This causes pressure in the glomerular capillaries to be much higher than in typical capillaries.
Define arteries and arterioles. (Hint: pressure)
Define veins, as well as capillaries, venules, and veins. Hint: pressure.
Define the purpose of Glomerular capillaries, vasa recta, and peritubular capillaries.
Vase recta: important in helping maintain the vertical osmotic gradient.
There are three main processes of the nephron, what are they? And where do they each happen respectively? What is the overall equation for amount of solute excreted?
Good summary function test:
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