Overview, Structure and Function of the Kidney Flashcards
What is the key to maintaining homeostatsis?
the kidney, it regulates or balances intake with excretion and excretes metabolic wastes and drugs
T/F. Renal function is dynamic or constantly changing.
True.
What are the functions of the kidney?
- elimination of metabolic waste (urea)
- regulation of water (via osmosis) and salts
- removal of foreign chemicals (drugs)
- gluconeogenesis
- production of hormones
What hormones are produced by the kidney?
- erythropoietin - acts in the bone marrow to stimulate syntesis of new erythrocytes
- renin - part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade to regulate blood pressure
- 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D - regulate calcium absorption
T/F. Of the 28 liters of total body water, the kidneys look at the 15 liters that is in the plasma.
False, Of the 28 liters of total body water, the kidneys look at the 3 liters that is in the plasma.
End stage renal disease (ESRD) can be acute or chronic. Which requires hemodialysis?
chronic ESRD
ESRD patients have a reduced ability to eliminate nitrogenous wastes and excess ___ is converted to ___. How does this excess product effect the patient’s health.
nitrogen; ammonium
the blood is alkalized which leads to an increased pH in the oral cavity
What are some manifestations of renal disease on oral health?
ammonia breath
gingival enlargement
xerostomia
tooth problems (premature loss, narrowing pulp chambers, necrosis beneath fillings or crowns)
What are contraindications for ESRD patients?
- nephrotoxic drugs such as tetracycline, acyclovir, aspirin, and NSAIDs
- increased susceptibility to bleeding due to destruction of platelets
The kidney is a ___ organ in the abdominal cavity with an outer ___ and inner ___.
retroperitoneal; cortex; medulla
What are the functional units of the kidney?
nephrons
In the renal ___, blood is filtered in the ___ and filtrate passes through tubule of nephron.
cortex; glomerulus
In the renal ___ there are portions of nephron tubule involved with concentration and collection of ___.
medulla; urine
Tubules empty into the renal ___ and then into ___, which drain into the urinary bladder and the bladder is drained by the ___.
pelvis; ureter; urethra
T/F. Each kidney contains ~1.2 x 10^6 nephrons.
True.
T/F. A nephron includes a cluster of capillaries and a long, hollow tube with a wall that is several cell layers thick.
False, A nephron includes a cluster of capillaries and a long, hollow tube with a wall that is ONE cell layer thick.
What does the renal corpuscle include? What structures follow it?
glomerulus and capsule
proximal (convoluted) tubule, loop of Henle, distal (convoluted) tubule, collecting duct (shared by several nephrons)
Describe the superficial or cortical nephrons.
- the glomerulus is at the top of the cortex and the loop of Henle doesn’t go deep into the medulla
- its filtrate is not as concentrated
- it is the majority of nephrons in humans
Describe the juxtamedullary nephron.
- it sits close to the cortex/medualla junction with its loop of Henle deep in the medulla
- concentrates the filtrate to a greater degree
During ___, the solutes (and the water they are dissolved in) pass from the blood into the tubular fluid in the renal ___.
filtration; capsule
Where does filtration occur? How much plasma is filtered?
glomerular capillaries
15-20%