Physiology Flashcards
Define “osmolarity”
The concentration of osmotically active particles in a solution
What is the unit of osmolarity in the body?
mOsmol/L
What 2 factors need to be known to calculate osmolarity?
Molar concn of the solution
Number of osmotically active particles present
Calculate the osmolarity of a 150mM solution of NaCl
Osmotically active particles = NaCl = 2
Molar concn = 150
Osmolarity = 150 x 2 = 300 mOsmol/L
What is the difference between osmolality and osmolarity?
Osmolality has units of osmol/kg water
Osmolarity has units of osmol/L
What is the osmolarity of body fluids?
300 mOsmol/L
Define “tonicity”
The effect a solution has on cell volume
If a solution is isotonic, what does this mean?
Water ECF = Water ICF
Cell volume is unchanged - no net movement of water
If a solution is hypotonic, what does this mean?
Water ECF greater than Water ICF
Cell volume increases - water moves into the cell
If a solution if hypertonic, what does this mean?
Water ECF less than Water ICF
Cell volume decreases - water moves out of the cell
The cell membrane is very permeable to urea and sucrose. True/False?
False
Permeable to urea, impermeable to sucrose
If you placed a cell in a urea solution, what would happen?
Cell would increase in volume + burst, thus urea solution is hypotonic
What are the 2 fluid compartments that make up total body water? State their proportions
Intracellular fluid (70%) Extracellular fluid (30%)
List the components of extracellular fluid (ECF)
Plasma (20%)
Interstitial fluid (80%)
Lymph
Transcellular fluid
How can body fluid compartments be measured?
Tracers - obtain distribution volume
Give examples of tracers used to measure body fluid compartments
Total body water: tritated water
ECF: inulin
Plasma: labelled albumin
TBW = ICF + ECF. Which tracers would enable you to calculate ICF?
Tritated water (TBW) Inulin (ECF)
Give the equation to measure volume (V) of an unknown volume of water using a dosage (D) of tracer and sample concentration (C) of tracer
V = D/C
List some methods of fluid input
Fluid intake
Food intake
Metabolism
List some insensible (non-regulated) losses of fluid
Skin
Lungs
List some sensible (regulated) losses of fluid
Sweat
Faeces
Urine
Water imbalance manifests as change in body fluid osmolarity. True/False?
True
How is water balance maintained?
By increasing/decreasing fluid intake
Is the concn of Na higher in the ECF or ICF?
Na is higher in the ECF
Is the concn of Cl higher in the ECF or ICF?
Cl is higher in the ECF
Is the concn of K higher in the ECF or ICF?
K is higher in the ICF
Is the concn of HCO3 higher in the ECF or ICF?
HCO3 is higher in the ECF
The osmotic concn of the ECF = the osmotic concn of the ICF. True/False?
True
What is meant by fluid shift in body compartments?
Movement of water between ECF and ICF in response to an osmotic gradient
What would happen to the ICF if the osmotic gradient of the ECF increased?
Osmotic gradient increase = lose water
Therefore, osmolarity increases, causing ECF to become hypertonic, so cell volume decreases i.e. ICF volume decreases
What would happen to the ICF if the osmotic gradient of the ECF decreased?
Osmotic gradient decrease = gain water
Therefore, osmolarity decreases, causing ECF to become hypotonic, so cell volume increases i.e. ICF volume increases
If you add salt to the ECF, what happens to the ICF?
ECF becomes hypertonic so ICF decreases
If you remove salt from the ECF, what happens to the ICF?
ECF becomes hypotonic so ICF increases
If you administer 0.9% NaCl solution IV, what happens to fluid osmolarity?
No change in osmolarity; change in ECF volume only
Which ion is chiefly responsible for the osmolarity of the ECF?
Na
Which ion is chiefly responsible for the osmolarity of the ICF?
K
Salt imbalance manifests as change in ECV. True/False?
True
List the main functions of the kidney
Water and salt balance Maintaining fluid volume and osmolarity Acid-base balance Excretion of waste Secretion of renin, erythropoietin Convert inactive vitamin D to calcitriol
What % of the cardiac output goes to kidneys?
20-25%
What 3 processes occur in a nephron?
Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
Describe the flow of arterial blood into the kidney involving its transformation into tubular fluid
Renal artery - afferent arteriole - glomerulus - 20% to Bowman’s capsule, 80% to efferent arteriole - renal tubules - peritubular capillaries - renal vein
What are the 2 types of nephron?
Juxtaglomerular (20%)
Cortical (80%)
How do juxtaglomerular and cortical nephrons differ?
Juxtaglomerular: vasa recta instead of PT capillaries, long loop of Henle
Cortical: PT capillaries, short loop of Henle
Which nephrons produce concentrated urine?
Juxtaglomerular nephrons
The diameter of the afferent arteriole is greater/smaller than the efferent arteriole
The diameter of the afferent arteriole is greater than the efferent arteriole
Which cells secrete renin in the juxtaglomerular apparatus?
Granular cells
What do the cells in the macula densa do?
Sense salt composition of distal convoluted tube fluid
How do you calculate the rate of filtration of substance X in the kidney?
X = mass of X filtered per unit time = [X]plasma x GFR
How do you calculate the rate of excretion of substance X in the kidney?
X = mass of X excreted per unit time = [X]urine x Vu (Vu = volume of urine)
How do you calculate the rate of reabsorption of substance X in the kidney?
Rate of reabsorption of X = rate of filtration of X - rate of excretion of X
How do you calculate the of secretion of substance X in the kidney?
Rate of secretion of X = rate of excretion of X - rate of filtration of X
If rate of filtration of X is greater than rate of excretion of X, has net reabsorption or secretion taken place?
Net reabsorption
If rate of filtration of X is less than rate of excretion of X, has net reabsorption or secretion taken place?
Net secretion
The endothelial pores in the glomerular capillary are 100x larger than the capillaries found elsewhere in the body. True/False?
True
What are the 3 main barriers to filtration in the glomerulus?
Glomerular capillary endothelium (barrier to RBC) Basement membrane (barrier to plasma protein) Slit processes of podocytes (barrier to plasma protein)
Name the 4 main forces that comprise net filtration pressure
BPgc - Blood pressure of capillary
HPbc - Hydrostatic pressure of Bowman’s capsule
COPgc - Oncotic pressure of capillary
COPbc - Oncotic pressure of Bowman’s capsule
Glomerular filtration is a passive process. True/False?
True
Describe the effect of BPgc (blood pressure of glomerular capillary)
High (55 mm Hg) pressure constant across the capillary that favours filtration
Describe the effect of HPbc (hydrostatic pressure of Bowman’s capsule)
Fluid in the Bowman’s capsule opposing filtration
Describe the effect of COPgc (oncotic pressure of glomerular capillary)
Opposes filtration of plasma proteins due to concn gradient
Describe the effect of COPbc (oncotic pressure of Bowman’s capsule)
Negligible since there are no plasma proteins in Bowman’s capsule