Renal Overview

Question 1

What is the functional unit of the kidney?

Answer 1

-The nephron

Question 2

Two major structures of the nephron

Answer 2

• Renal corpuscle (where filtration of blood occurs)
• Tubule (where the filtered fluid is processed)

Question 3

Main 5 parts of the nephron

Answer 3

• renal corpuscle
• proximal tubule
• Loop of Henle
• distal convoluted tubule
• collecting duct

Question 4

Two types of nephrons

Answer 4

• Cortical nephrons (in cortex)
• Juxtamedullary nephrons (very close to medulla but still in cortex) - help in ability to produce more concentrated urine

Question 5

What is the site of filtration of blood that produces filtrate?

Answer 5

Renal Corpuscle

Question 6

Parts of the Renal Corpuscle

Answer 6

Bowman’s capsule - where fluid filters into
Glomerulus - specialized leaky capillaries
Juxtaglomerular apparatus - junction of the tubule and arterioles around Bowman’s capsule

Question 7

Which arteriole enters the renal corpuscle and which arteriole leaves it?

Answer 7

• enters corpuscle - afferent arteriole
• leaves corpuscle - efferent arteriole

TRICK TO REMEMBER- A COMES BEFORE E (A IS ENTERING, E IS LEAVING)

Question 8

What are the cells that wrap around the glomerulus call and what do they do?

Answer 8

• called podocytes
• fusion of podocytes to glomerulus due to sticky basal lamina
• podocytes prevent filtration of larger molecules from blood

Question 9

3 Barriers to filtration

Answer 9

• size of the pores in capillaries
• space between the basal lamina matrix
• slit space between podocytes

Question 10

What molecules are filtered into Bowman’s Capsule from the glomerulus? (5)

Answer 10

• water, amino acids, glucose, ions, gases

Question 11

3 Processes that occur in the kidney

Answer 11

• filtration (fluid from blood in glomerulus into Bowman’s capsule)
• tubular reabsorption
• tubular secretion