Renal Physiology

Question 1

What is the main function of the kidneys?

Answer 1

Remove urea (waste product of protein metabolism) from the blood (filter blood) and remove it in the urine

Help to maintain balance of fluid, salts etc in the blood

Produce erythropoietin- hormone to aid blood cell formation

Question 2

What is the function of the ureters?

Answer 2

Carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder

Question 3

How do the ureters carry out their function?

Answer 3

Smooth muscle in the walls contract and relax, forcing iron downwards and away from kidneys

Question 4

What is the function of the bladder?

Answer 4

Temporary store of urine

Collapsible muscular bag

Detrusor muscle

Question 5

How does the bladder work?

Answer 5

Muscular walls relax/stretch to store tribe and contract/flatter to empty it

Question 6

What is the function is the urethra?

Answer 6

Allows urine to be excreted from the body

Question 7

What are the 3 main areas of the kidney?

Answer 7

Outer cortex, inner medulla, renal pelvis

Question 8

What are the 4 main functions of the kidney?

Answer 8

1) Filters blood
2) regulates blood volume and pressure
3) eliminates waste
4) controls osmolarity

Question 9

What is a nephron?

Answer 9

Functional unit of the kidney

Question 10

What is the function of the nephron?

Answer 10

Actual purification and filtration of blood

Question 11

What are the 2 parts of the nephron?

Answer 11

1) renal corpuscle

2) renal tubule

Question 12

What is the function of the renal corpuscle?

Answer 12

Filters blood

Question 13

What is the function of the renal tubule?

Answer 13

Where reabsorption and secretion take place

Question 14

What 2 structures make up the renal corpuscle?

Answer 14

Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus

Question 15

What 3 components make up the renal tubule?

Answer 15

PCT
Loop of Henle
DCT

Question 16

What is the function of the glomerulus?

Answer 16

Filters small solutes from the blood

Question 17

What is the function of the PCT?

Answer 17

Reabsorption of water, ions and nutrients while removing toxins and adjusting the filtrate pH

Question 18

What is the function of the descending loop of Henle?

Answer 18

Aquaporins (water pores) allow water to pass from the filtrate into the interstitial fluid

Question 19

What is the function of the ascending loop of Henle?

Answer 19

Reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions from the filtrate into the interstitial fluid

Question 20

What is the function of the DCT?

Answer 20

Selectively secretes/absorbs different ions to maintain blood pH and electrolyte balance

Question 21

What is the function of the collecting duct?

Answer 21

Reabsorbs solutes and water from the filtrate

Question 22

What is the function of Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)?

Answer 22

Regulates water absorption in the DCT and CD

Question 23

Where is ADH produced and stored/released from?

Answer 23

Produced- hypothalamus

Stored- posterior pituitary gland (also released from here into the bloodstream)

Question 24

What are the 2 functions of ADH?

Answer 24

1) water retention
Eg increasing water reabsorption by DCT and CD by increasing their permeability

2) vasoconstriction
Increases Peripheral resistance- rise in arterial pressure