Kindeys structure and Deamination Flashcards
By what process are amino acids broken down and where
deamination in the liver
What occurs during deamination 2
Amino group is removed from amino acids to give ammonia and pyruvic acid/ urea.
Urea is released into the blood and remains there until it is removed by the kidneys and excreted as urine
Uses of pyruvic acid
Used in respiration or converted into fat for storage
3 nitrogenous waste products
Ammonia
Urea
Uric acid
Characteristics of ammonia
Small molecules
Very toxic
Very water soluble
What form of N waste do aquatic animals excrete and why
Ammonia
Very soluble and toxic so must be excreted in very dilute solutions= alot of water lost from body
Water loss is not an issue for aquatic organisms
How does NH3 leave auqautic soft bodied invertebrates vs freshwater fish
SBI= Diffuse out across whole body surface
FWF= Most lost as NH4+ across the gills
Form of N waste from birds reptiles and insects and why
Uric acid
Less water soluble than other 2= minimum water lost
Excreted as a precipitate after most H2O reabsorbed from urine
N waste form for terrestrial organisms and why
Urea
Less toxic than ammonia so can be excreted in a more concentrated sol= reduced water loss
Excretion
Removal of metabolic waste
(via excretory organs: kidneys, lungs, skin, liver)
Egestion
Removal of undigested food material as faeces
Secretion
Release of useful substance from cells e.g amino acids
Function of kidneys 2
Filter blood to remove nitrogenous waste
Osmoregulation
Osmoregulation?
Mechanism by which kidneys regulate water and solute composition of the blood
why cant amino acids be stored
They are toxic, soluble (osmotic effect) and can be stored
Name for the functional unit of the kidney
Kidney nephrons
Numb of nephrons per kidney approx
1 million
What is a nephron?
Individual blood filtering unit
Route of blood throught the kidneys
Aorta
Renal artery
Afferent arteriole
Glomerulus
Efferent arteriole
Vasa Recta
Renal vein
Route of kidney filtrate from glomerulus
Bowman’s capsule
Proximal convoluted tubules
Loop of Henle
Distal convoluted tubules
Collection duct
Name for capillaries surrounding a nephron
peritubular capillaries
Name for peritubular capillaries specifically running alongside the loop of Henle
Vasa Recta
Glomerulus?
Dense network of capillaries in bowman’s capsule
