REB 19. Elements of Renal Function and Circulation Flashcards
What is the key organ in body homeostasis?
Kidney
What are the primary functions of the kidney? [2]
[1] regulate VOLUME + COMPOSITION of the extracellular fluid (ECF)
[2] eliminate potentially toxic metabolite wastes and foreign compounds
What are some other functions of the kidney (besides its primary functions)? [9]
[1] maintaain water balance in body
[2] maintaining proper plasma volume (regulation of blood pressure)
[3] maintain osmolarity (solute concentration) of body fluids
— primarily by regulating water balance
[4] regulating quantity and concentration of most extracellular fluid ions (Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+, PO4 3-)
[5] Maintaining Acid-Base Balance
— pH
[6] Excreting Waste Products of Metabolism
- – urea (from metabolism of amino acids)
- – uric acid (from metabolism of nucleic acids)
[7] Excreting Foreign Compounds
— drugs, food additives
[8] Converting Vitamin D to Active Form (by proximal tubule cells)
— regulation of Ca2+/bone
[9] Producing Eryhtropoietin (cells interstitium of cortex/outer medulla)
— hormone stimulates red blood cell production
How much body mass does the ECF take up in comparison to the ICF? What does the ECF consist of?
ICF = 2/3 of body mass ECF = 1/3 of body mass
ECF is fluid OUTSIDE of cells…
[1] plasma which surrounds the blood cells
[2] interstitial fluid which surrounds the cells of all other tissues
What is able to diffuse through from the interstitial fluid to the plasma (and vice versa)? What cannot diffuse through?
- water and solutes can undergo free exchange
- PROTEINS cannot undergo free exchange between the interstitial fluid and plasma
What 2 factors does the distribution of fluid depend on?
[1] Hydrostatic Force
[2] Osmotic Force
What cation and anion make up the majority of the ECF?
Na+ (accounts for ~93% of cations in ECF)
Cl-
What cation and anion make up the majority of the ICF?
K+
PO4 3-
If there is a change in the composition of the plasma what would happen to the composition of the interstital fluid?
- there would be a similar change in the composition of the interstitial fluid
What accounts for the majority of the ionic/osmotic content? What allows for water movement?
Na+ accounts for it
- it cause the movement of water and also the movement of Cl-
Is there a tendency for the content of the ECF (and therefore, blood) to change?
YES why it may be affected: [1] food contains salt and water - leads to continuing tendency for levels of salt and water to rise [2] exercise (sweating) [3] other causes: vomiting, diarrhoea
KIDNEYS offset this effect by excreting salt + water in amounts appropriate to intake
What is a nephron?
functional unit of the kidney
- approx. 1 to 1.2 million nephrons in each kidney
What are the parts of the nephron?
[1] Renal Corpuscle
(a) Tuft of Capillaries (Glomerulus)
(b) Bowman’s capsule
[2] Renal Tubule
- fluid filled tube formed by single layer of epithelial cells
- vascular supply
What does the vascular supply of the nephron consist of?
[1] Afferent Arteriole - providing blood to glomerular capillaries
[2] Efferent Arteriole - sending blood away from glomerular capillaries
[3] Vasa Recta (descending + ascending)
[4] Peritubular Capillaries
[5] Veins
What are the 3 basic functions/processes performed by the nephron?
[1] filtration of blood
[2] tubular reabsorption
[3] tubular secretion