Week 3 - The Urinary System Flashcards
define elimination
- the excretion of waste products primarily through the urinary system (in the urine) and the GI system (bile & feces)
list the 5 major roles of the kidneys
- filter and excrete water soluble metabolic wastes
- regulate blood vol & bp
- production of erythropoietin
- regulation of electrolytes
- regulate pH
where are metabolic wastes filtered from? how are they excreted?
- filtered from the blood into filtrate
- excreted in the urine
list 3 metabolic wastes the kidneys filter & excrete
- urea
- uric acid
- creatinine
how are metabolic wastes produced?
- waste products are generated during metabolism in cells
what is urea
- waste product produced when we metabolize amino acids/the detoxification of ammonium
describe how the metabolism of amino acids forms urea; include whether or not ammonium is toxic to the body
- each amino acid contains an amino head & acid tail
- the amino head contains nitrogen
- when we break down proteins into amino acids & then break down the amino acids for fuel, the nitrogen in the amino head becomes ammonium
- ammonium is very toxic to the body & we do not want it to accumulate
- to avoid this accumulation, we deliver aa to the liver which removes the ammonium and creates urea thru the urea cycle
- urea is then put back into the blood & removed thru the kidneys
is urea toxic or non-toxic to the body
- no but its elevations are
what is uric acid
- waste product produced due to DNA and RNA catabolism
what 2 things does accumulation of uric acid cause?
- kidney stones
2. gout
what is creatine
- by-product produced from muscle tissue
- specifically it is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate
describe how creatine is formed from the breakdown of creatine phosphat
- creatine phosphate is what the muscle tissue uses to regenerate ATP when we use our muscles vigorously
- creatine phosphate donates a phosphate to ADP to create ATP
- and then we are left with creatinine
is creatine toxic to the body?
- it is not toxic itself, but it’s elevation is
how do the kidneys regulate blood volume & pressure? (3)
- alter the amt of urine produced
- release the enzyme renin into the blood
- antidiuretic hormone released from the pituitary gland acts on the kidneys
when is renin released? what is the function of renin?
- renin is released when blood volume &bp is low
- it then acts on angiotensignogen to convert it to angiotensin 1
describe the RAAS system
- renin is released when bp low
- turns angiotensinogen into angiotensin 1
- ACE turns angiotensin 1 into angiotensin 2
- angiotesin 2 causes vasoconstricition & aldo secretion
what is the function of aldo
- tells the kidneys to keep Na and water & get rid of K+
what is the function of ADH
- tells the kidneys to keep water
what triggers the kidneys to produce erythropoietin
- produces it in response to low blood O2 levels
what does erythropoietin do>
- stimulaed erythrocyte production in the bone marrow
list 5 main electrolytes the kidneys regulate
- Na
- K
- Ca
- Cl
- Phosphate
list 3 ways the kidneys regulate electrolytes
- alteration of the urine conc
- alteration of urine composition
- activation of vit D
describe why the kidneys need to activate vit D? what does this activation cause?
- when we absorb vit D into our skin via the sun it is inactive
- the kidneys then activate the vit D
- activation of vit D promotes Ca++ absorption in the small intestine
what other hormone promotes Ca++ absorption
- parathyroid hormone
how do the kidneys regulate the body’s pH
- control the amount of H+ secreted
- & the amount of HCO3- reabsorbed from the filrate
note: for every molecule of H+ secreted, one HCO3- is reabsorbed
where are the kidneys located? what are they partially protected by>
- located posterior to the peritoneum in the retroperitoneal area
- partially protected by the lower ribs
where do the kidneys receive blood from? where do these come from?
- the renal arteries
- these branch directly from the aorta
how do the kidneys return their cleansed blood to the heart?
- thru the renal veins into the inferior vena cava
describe the movement of urine (4 steps)
- it is produced in the kidneys
- travels down the ureters
- moves into the urinary bladder for storage
- then leaves the body thru the urthera using contraction of the bladder