Renal Flashcards
What are the major functions of the kidney
Endocrine, metabolic, pH regulation, water homeostasis, salt/ion homeostasis, reabsorption of nutrients, excretion of medications, toxins and metabolites (waste products)
What percentage of our bodies is water
55% (females), 60% (males)
How much of our total body water is ECF and ICF
1/3 ECF and 2/3 ICF
What substances would be found in normal urine
Water, salts, urea, metabolites, hormones, small proteins
Where are the kidneys located (rib level)
T12-L3
How many lobes per kidney
5-11
What are the kidneys surrounded with for support
Renal fat pad (adipose tissue)
Where does filtration occur in the kidney
Cortex
Where do peritubular capillaries drain to
Cortical radiate vein, renal vein, inferior vena cava
How are the kidneys innervated
A network of autonomic nerves and ganglia called the renal plexus
(sympathetic nerves act to adjust diameter of renal arterioles and thus regulate bloodflow)
What are the two types of nephrons
Cortical and juxtamedullary
What percentage of nephrons are cortical
85%
What percentage of nephrons are juxtamedullary
15%
What forms the filtration barrier
Fenestrated capillary endothelial cells, fused basement membrane, podocytes
What are peritubular capillaries specialised for
Absorption
What are vasa recta
Extensions of capillaries that follow nephron loops deep into the medulla (only found with juxtamedullary nephrons)
What is the outer layer of the glomerular capsule made of
Parietal simple squamous cells
What is the inner layer of the glomerular capsule made of
Inner visceral podocytes
What are podocytes
Specialised epithelium with many branches and intertwining foot processes called pedicels
What are filtration slits
Gaps between pedicels
What does the filtration barrier mostly filter based on
Size
Urine = (in terms of filtrate)
Filtered - reabsorbed + secreted
What type of epithelium is the proximal convoluted tubule
Cuboidal (leaky)
How is the basolateral membrane of PCT cells described
Highly folded
How is the luminal membrane of PCT cells described
Dense microvilli brush border
What organelle is prominent in PCT epithelial cells
Mitochondria for active transport
What type of epithelium is present in the thin descending limb
Simple squamous
What type of epithelium is present in the thin ascending limb
Simple squamous
What is the purpose of the PCT
Bulk reabsorption
What is the purpose of the DCT
Fine tuning reabsorption
What type of epithelium is found in the DCT
Cuboidal, but thinner than PCT
What is the structure of epithelial cells in the DCT (same as collecting duct)
Few microvilli: no brush border, fewer mitochondria
What hormone does the kidney secrete and when
EPO, when blood oxygen levels are low. Stimulates bone marrow to produce more red blood cells
How do the kidneys undergo gluconeogenesis
During fasting kidneys make glucose from lactate
What is the blood pH range
7.35-7.45
What blood pH is known as alkalosis
> 7.45
What blood pH is known as acidosis
<7.35
What are the two main sources of acid in the body
Acids coming from metabolism, food and drink, and carbon dioxide from metabolism
How is pH of the blood controlled
Lungs (exhalation of CO2), kidneys (reabsorption and secretion of bicarbonate and hydrogen ions)
What do kidneys secrete to maintain salt/ion homeostasis
K+
What medications do the kidneys secrete
Lidocaine (common local anaesthetic excreted after metabolism due to its lipophilic nature), aspirin (common pain killer excreted directly due to its hydrophilic nature)
What percentage of ECF is plasma
20%
What percentage of ECF is interstitial fluid
80%
What is the normal osmolarity of the ECF
275-300 mosmol/L
What is the normal osmolarity of the ICF
275-300 mosmol/L
What does hyposmotic mean
Increase in water, decrease in concentration
What does hyperosmotic mean
Decrease in water, increase in concentration
What does a loss of water from the ECF result in
Loss of water from both regions, cells shrink
What does a gain of water to the ECF result in
Gain of water to both regions, cells swell
What does a loss of isosmotic fluid from the ECF result in
No net water movement, decrease in ECF volume only
What does a gain of isosmotic fluid from the ECF result in
No net water movement, increase in ECF volume only
What is filtration
Movement of solutes from the blood to the plasma like filtrate
What is secretion
Movement of solutes from the peritubular capillaries into the tubular fluid
What is reabsorption
Movement of solutes from the tubular fluid (nephron) into the peritubular capillaries