Untitled Deck Flashcards
What is the major excretory system of the body?
The urinary system is the major excretory system of the body.
What organs are primarily involved in waste elimination?
The urinary system consists of two kidneys, the primary excretory organs.
How are waste products transported from the kidneys?
Waste products are carried by two ureters to a single urinary bladder.
How is waste expelled from the urinary bladder?
Waste is emptied from the urinary bladder by the urethra.
What is one function of the kidneys?
Excretion of waste products - kidneys remove waste products from the blood.
How do kidneys regulate blood volume and pressure?
Kidneys can produce either a large volume of dilute urine or a small volume of concentrated urine.
What role do kidneys play in regulating blood solute concentration?
Kidneys help regulate the concentration of major molecules and ions, such as glucose, Na+, Cl−, K+, Ca2+, HCO3−, and HPO4 2-.
How do kidneys regulate extracellular fluid pH?
Kidneys excrete variable amounts of H+ to help regulate extracellular fluid pH.
What hormone do kidneys secrete to regulate red blood cell synthesis?
Kidneys secrete erythropoietin, which regulates the synthesis of red blood cells in bone marrow.
What is the role of kidneys in vitamin D synthesis?
Kidneys play an important role in controlling blood levels of Ca2+ by regulating the synthesis of vitamin D.
Where are the kidneys located?
Behind the peritoneum on the posterior abdominal wall on each side of the vertebral column.
What is the shape and size of the kidneys?
Kidneys are bean-shaped and the size of a fist.
What surrounds each kidney?
A connective tissue layer called the renal (or kidney) capsule surrounds each kidney.
What is the order of urine flow?
- From the tips of the renal pyramids into the calyces 2. From the calyces into the renal pelvis 3. From the renal pelvis into the ureter 4. From the ureter into the bladder 5. From the bladder exits to the urethra into external environment.
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney.
How many nephrons does each kidney have?
Each kidney has approximately 1.3 million nephrons.
What are the two types of nephrons?
- Juxtamedullary nephrons 2. Cortical nephrons.
What characterizes juxtamedullary nephrons?
Juxtamedullary nephrons have renal corpuscles deep in the cortex near the medulla and long loops of Henle that extend deep into the medulla.
What characterizes cortical nephrons?
Cortical nephrons have renal corpuscles distributed throughout the cortex with shorter loops of Henle.
What is the glomerulus?
The glomerulus is a network of capillaries twisted around each other, part of the nephron.
What is Bowman’s capsule?
Bowman’s capsule is the enlarged end of the nephron that surrounds the glomerulus.
What is the function of the afferent arteriole?
The afferent arteriole supplies blood to the glomerulus for filtration.
What is the function of the efferent arteriole?
The efferent arteriole transports the filtered blood away from the glomerulus.
