Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Biology > Kidneys - Paper 2 > Flashcards

Kidneys - Paper 2 Flashcards

(58 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

The adjective renal refers to which organ?

A

The Kidneys

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Name the parts of the nephron

A

(Glomerulus)
Bowman’s Capsule
First Convoluted Tubule
Loop of Henle
Second Convoluted Tubule
Collecting Duct

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the 3 main functions of the kidney?

A

Removal of urea
Adjustment of ion levels in the blood
Adjustment of water levels in the blood (osmoregulation)

Urea is a waste product produced in the liver from the breakdown of excess amino acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Where does ultrafiltration occur?

A

Between the glomerulus (a knot of capillaries) and the bowman’s capsule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Where does selective reabsorption occur?

A

First convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Second convoluted tubule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Which process happens in the first convoluted tubule?

A

Selective reabsorption

Not ultrafiltration - that happens between the glomerulus (a knot of capillaries) and the bowman’s capsule - small molecues are removed to the nephron from the blood in the glomerulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is removed in ultrafiltration?

A

All small molecules (like urea, water, ions, and glucose)

Large molecules, such as blood proteins, are too big to fit through the capillary wall and remain in the blood.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why are proteins not removed in ultrafiltration?

A

They are too big to pass through the capillary wall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Should there be any protein in the urine?

A

No

Large molecules like proteins shouldn’t be able to fit through the capillary wall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Which process takes place in the second convoluted tubule?

A

Selective reabsorption

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is selective reabsorption?

A

The process in which useful molecules are returned to the blood
(e.g. sufficient water and ions, but also glucose - all glucose is selectively reabsorbed against the concentration gradient via active transport)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Does the selective reabsorption of glucose involve diffusion or active transport?

A

Active transport

This is because these small glucose molecules are moved back into the blood against the concentration gradient
Active transport is the movement of substances against the concentration gradient which requires energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the glomerulus?

A

A knot of capilleries from which small molecules in the blood enters the nephron’s bowman’s capsule via ultrafiltration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the bowman’s capsule?

A

The part of the nephron where small molecules from the blood eneter via ultrafiltration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the first convoluted tubule?

A

A part of the nephron where selective reabsorption occurs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Name the part of the kidney:
Loop of …

A

Henle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Name the part of the kidney:
First __ Tubule

A

Convoluted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the second convoluted tubule?

A

A part of the kidney where selective reabsorption occurs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the collecting duct?

A

The part of the nephron where waste products are brought together to exit the body as urine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is collected in the collecting duct?

A

Waste products which form urine (inc. urea and excess water or mineral ions)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Describe the journey of urine to leave the body following the collecting duct

A

Ureta
Bladder
Urethra

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Name two treatments for kidney failure

Kidney failure is where patients can’t filter their blood properly

A

Dialysis
Kidney transplant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is kidney dialysis?

A

The time-consuming use of a machine outside the body to perform the action of the kidneys (filter the blood of waste substances like urea)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Which part of homeostasis are the kidneys crucial for?

Study These Flashcards
A

Osmoregulation
The control of water content in the blood (to keep cells acting normally)

If blood water content is too high, water will move into body cells via osmosis.
If too much water enters there body cells however, they may burst.
Animal cells burst when they contain too much water because they don’t have a rigid cell wall
However, if blood water content is too low, chemical reactions can’t occur

25
What is osmoregulation?
The control of blood water content
26
Which organ is crucial for osmoregulation?
The Kidneys
27
What is the nephron?
The kidney's filtration units
28
Name three substances contained in urine
**Urea** Excess **Water** Excess **Mineral ions**
29
Blood carrying impurities travels to the kidney via which blood vessel?
The renal artery
30
Purified blood returns to circultation via which blood vessel?
The renal vein
31
Has blood in the renal vein been purified?
Yes
32
Describe the pressure required for ultrafiltration
High pressure
33
What is ultrafiltration?
When **small molecules** (water, ions, glucose and urea) are **forced** out of the **blood in the glomerulus** into the **Bowman's capsule** at **high pressure**
34
In which part of the nephron is **all** glucose selectively reabsorbed?
First Convoluted Tubule
35
Why is it important that glucose is not excreted from the body?
It is vital for respiration to provide the body with energy
36
Water content is controlled by a __ feedback system
Negative ## Footnote Negative feedback loop - when a condition changes away from the normal level, a response is triggered to counteract the change, maintaining a stable internal environment
37
Name the endocrine gland of ADH
Pituitary Gland
38
HEGTOE ADH
Hormone: ADH Enodcrine Gland: Pituitary Gland Target Organ: Collecting Duct Effect: * Makes walls of the collecting duct more permeable to water * Water moves into blood via osmosis * Blood water levels increase * Small volume of concentrated urine produced
39
What detects water levels in the blood?
Hypothalumus in the brain ## Footnote Hypothalumus is above the pituitary gland in the brain (and the alphabet) so this helps you to remember it comes first in this sequence
40
Describe the response triggered if the hypothalumus detects blood water levels that are too low
ADH is secreted by the pituitay gland and travels to the collecting duct (target organ) Walls of the collecting duct become more permeable to water Water travels to blood via osmosis Blood water levels increase Small volume of concentrated urine is produced
41
Describe the urine produced by the kidney if blood water levels are too low
Small volume of concentrated urine ## Footnote Because water has travelled into blood via osmosis to raise blood water levels High concentration of urea
42
Describe the urine produced by the kidney if blood water levels are too high
Large volume of dilute urine ## Footnote Because less water needs to be selectively reabsorbed Low concentration of urea
43
Describe the response triggered if the hypothalumus detects blood water levels that are too high
Pituitary Gland inhibits release of ADH Collecting duct walls become less permeable to water so water remains in the filtrate Blood water levels decrease Large volume of dilute urine is produced
44
Describe the effect of ADH on the collecting duct
Makes the collecting duct wall more permeable to water ## Footnote (so water can return to blood via osmosis)
45
What is urea?
A small, soluble waste product of the breakdown of excess amino acids ## Footnote It is produced in the liver
46
What is a negative feedback loop?
Where a change in conditions away from the normal level triggers a response to counteract this change and maintain a stable internal environment
47
Describe what will happenif the amount of sodium ions in the blood increases
**Blood water concentration will decrease** Hypothalumus will detect this change and trigger the **pituitary gland to secrete more ADH** Collecting ducts will become more permeable to water so **more water will be reabsorbed** into the blood **Blood water content will rise**
48
Describe dialysis fluid
Same concentration of salts (ions) and glucose as blood plasma No urea ## Footnote So ions and glucose are kept in the blood but urea diffuses (down the concentration gradient) across the partially permable membrane into the dialysis fluid, being removed from the blood
49
What does ADH stand for
Anti-diuretic hormone ## Footnote Anti means opposite of Diuretic is a substance which increases urination Therefore anti-diuretic does the opposite of increase urination - it decreases urination; when blood water content is too low, ADH causes more water to be returned (reabsorbed) into the blood, decreasing the volume of urine!
50
How does dialysis cause the removal of urea from a patient's blood?
**Dialysis fluid** within the machine **contains no urea** Urea can then **diffuse from the blood to the dialysis fluid** (across the partially permeable membrane between the two)
51
In a dialysis machine, what can be found between the patient's blood and the dialysis fluid?
A partially permeable membrane which allows small molecules (like urea and not large ones like proteins) to travel across
52
Give an alternative treatment to kidney dialysis
Kidney transplantation
53
Give a benefit of transplantation over dialysis
Less restrictive for the patient and regular, time consuming visits are not required
54
Give a risk of transplantation
**Rejection** (causing illness or possible death) where antigens on the kidney cells don't match those of the host, triggering and immune response | Give score 4 if you get rejection
55
What may be taken by a patient recieving a donor kidney to prevent immune rejection?
Immunosurpressive drugs which must be taken for the rest of the patients life | Give score of 4 if got immunosurppressive drugs
56
Give a drawback of immunosurpressive drugs
They can cause the immune system to be weak against pathogens
57
Give two precautions taken to prevent organ rejection
Tissue typing - chosing a donor with a similar tissue type to the recipent Immunosurpressive drugs
58
What is tissue typing?
Chosing an organ donor with a similar tissue type to the recipent ## Footnote This may increase waiting times but reduces risk of organ rejection

Biology (34 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions