Renal Physiology Flashcards
Fluid compartments of the body
- Blood plasma: fluid component of the blood
- Interstitial fluid: fluid surrounding cells
- Intracellular fluid: fluid within cells
1&2 separated by endothelium
2&3 separated by cell membrane
Why is it necessary to have control over water and electrolyte balance?
No known species has a completely passive relationship between their internal and external environment. Water and ion regulation is important to prevent unwanted loss or gain of those substances.
Osmolarity
Solute concentration (number of osmoles of solute per litre) based on both penetrating and non penetrating solutes
Tonicity
Refers to solute concentration based only on penetrating solutes (particles that pass through membrane)
How does osmotic pressure affect water movement?
Water moves from low to high osmotic pressure (areas of low solute to high solute)
Which fluid compartments have similar ion concentrations and which do not?
Blood plasma and interstitial fluid have same concentration. Intracellular fluid has different concentration.
Osmotic regulators
Show constant blood osmotic pressure (maintains constant fluid composition regardless of the external environment)
Ex. Shrimp
Osmotic conformers
Show blood osmotic pressure that mimics the external environment (changes fluid composition to equal that of the environment)
Ex. Mussel
Challenges to freshwater regulators
Environment is hypo-osmotic
Therefore, water is constantly being brought in to the internal environment due to osmosis
Solution: Get rid of excess water to prevent ion loss
Challenges to marine regulators
External environment is hyper-osmotic
Therefore, water is constantly being drawn out to the external environment
Solution: Retain more water to prevent ion loading
Special case: Elasmobranchs and osmoregulation
Elasmobranchs produce high levels of inorganic solute to meet the same osmotic pressure as the external environment. These solutes are not identical to the ones in the external environment but they create a similar solute concentration.
Special case: Salmon
Salmon are born in fresh water and migrate to sea water. To return to fresh water for the breeding season salmon spend time in brackish water which is an intermediate between fresh and sea water.
In the transition process:
- Kidney function change to make more dilute urine in freshwater
- Gills take up ions in fresh and lose them in sea
How do gills help osmoregulation in freshwater environments?
Gills have a high surface area and permeability which benefits gas exchange. This is counter productive for water-salt balance.
High surface area = increase water uptake through osmosis
High permeability = increase ion loss or loading
Solution to gills
Active transport of ions into the gills coupled with copious amount of dilute urine
Osmoregulatory gill cells
Pavement cells: occupy 90% of the gill epithelium and is responsible for oxygen uptake
Mitochondria rich cells: uptake Na, Cl, Ca; partial under hormonal control; density and type depends on conditions
How do marine birds and reptiles deal with a hyper osmotic environment ?
Thick and less permeable integument (skin)
Salt glands
Salt glands in birds
Nasal
Ducts transfer ions to the nostrils located in the beak (replaces function of gills)
Salt glands in reptiles
Lingual or tongue
Nasal
Optical
How salt glands work?
When osmoreceptors near the heart and brain detect high blood osmotic pressure, the parasympathetic system releases AcH. This induces Cl and K gated channels in the mitochondria rich cells. The build up of negative charge inside the mitochondria rich cells attract Na to the apical membrane for excretion.
Humidic Animals
Restricted to humid and water rich environments
(Ie. earthworms, slugs, etc.)
Highest integument permeability
Xeric animals
Animals that live in dry, water poor places
(Ie. mammals, birds, etc.)
Lower integument permeability via thin lipid layers