Renal Physiology Flashcards
the kidneys manage the outflow of ___, and the retention or expulsion of various components of the ___
- urine
- serum
the kidneys are regulators of what?
- blood pressure
- blood plasma constituents
- pH
- this regulation is provided by what is kept (returned to circulation) vs what is expelled (as urine)
what are the 4 body fluid compartments that physiological fluid is distributed across? where is the majority of the fluid?
- plasma
- intracellular fluid (majority is found here, but it can easily traverse cell membranes [tonicity])
- interstitial fluid
- transcellular fluid
generally, for alterations in the overall fluid volume, the ___ is the point of entry
plasma
how many liters of physiological fluid are in the body on average at any one time?
42 liters
how many liters per day of fluid do the kidneys dispose of?
0.5-2 liters
what ways other than renal is physiological fluid excreted from the body?
- 700 ml/day lost from skin (not sweat), insensible water loss from skin/respiratory tract
- 100 ml/day up to 1-2 L/hour in heavy exercise
- Around 100 ml/day in feces.
what is blood volume?
the fluid in the plasma and the fluid contained in RBCs
the circulatory system is a ___ system
closed
substantially increased volumes of fluid would substantially increase pressure. how do the kidneys function in managing this?
- control of urine volume can rapidly shed excess pressure
- restriction of urine volume in dehydration can conserve pressure
the kidneys regulate ___ balances and ___
- electrolyte balances and tonicity
- the kidneys control retention or excretion of these ions, thus can help regulate plasma levels
T or F:
the kidneys serve to excrete metabolic waste products an foreign chemicals
true
describe renal regulation of pH
- excretion or retention of acid or base
- so, urine can be either acidic or basic
T or F:
the kidneys deal with volatile acids
false
the kidneys deal with nonvolatile acids
the kidneys produce ___, which creates RBCs
erythropoietin
the kidneys are a site of ___, particularly during a fasting state
gluconeogenesis
what glands are located on the kidneys?
adrenal glands
the outser layer of the kidney is called the ___, and the inner layer is called the ___
- renal cortex
- renal medulla
within the ___, there are specialized regions of tissue called ___, which are composed of many individual filtration units called ___
- medulla
- renal pyramids
- nephrons
each renal pyramid is connected to the ___, or urine drainage tube, by ___
- renal pelvis
- papilla
describe the general flow through the kidneys
where does filtration occur in the kidneys?
nephrons in the renal pyramids
filtrate passes through each ___ and is modified by ___ and/or ___ of water, ions, metabolites, etc.
- nephron
- reabsorption
- secretion
what is the nephron?
the basic functional unit of the kidney where filtration occurs
about how many nephrons are in all of the renal pyramids in a single kidney?
1 million
each nephron is fed by a small cluster of ___, often referred to as a ___, which is covered by epithelial cells and encased in ___.
- glomerular capillaries
- glomerulus
- bowman’s capsule
describe the flow of plasma through the nephron
- plasma containing solutes passes out of the glomerulus and into bowman’s capsule
- proximal tubule
- loop of Henle (longer loop = more concentrated urine)
- distal tubule
- collecting duct
- renal pelvis
- ureter
describe the 2 types of nephrons
- Cortical nephrons (around 70%) are located primarily within the cortical region of the kidney, with only the loop of Henle penetrating the medulla. They are more superficial.
- Juxtamedullary nephrons (around 30%) are located primarily within the medullar region of the kidney. They have very long loops of Henle that penetrate deeply into the medulla.
describe how the blood supply differs between the two types of nephrons
- cortical nephrons - peritubular capillaries are tightly associated with the loop of henle
- juxtamedullary nephrons - the efferent arterioles extend part of the way down the loop of henle and form specialized peritubular capillaries called vasa recta; allows these nephrons to form highly concentrated urine
around what percentage of the blood plasma presented to the glomerulus enters the proximal tubule via bowman’s capsule?
20%