Renal Flashcards
(43 cards)
Functions of the kidneys
- Regulate ECF volume (composition of ECF will determine urine composition)
- Volume
- Osmolarity
- Electrolyte composition
- Acid base balance
- Waste disposal
- Hormone production
2 types of nephrons
- Cortical
- 80%, mostly in cortex, short loop of henle
- Juxtamedullary
- 20%, deeper into medulla, long loop of henle
Vascular organisation in nephron
Afferent arterioles → glomerulus → efferent arteriole - peritubular capillaries/vasa recta
Structure of renal corpuscle
- Plasma enters via afferent into glomerulus
- Glomerulus is group of capillaries surrounded by podocytes. Blood pressure within forces some blood to be pushed into Bowmans capsule (gradient) to become filtrate (the remainder move via efferent)
- Bowmans capsule is a funnel structure that will ‘catch’ filtrate. layer of podocytes (covering glomerulus) with epithelial cells below (fluid moves between)
3 processes involved in urine creation
- Glomerular filtration (plasma through bowman’s)
- Tubular reabsorption (from filtrate to blood)
- Tubular secretion (excretion, blood to filtrate)
Reabsorption and secretion occur at the same time
What is glomerular filtration
- High pressure in glomerulus
- As blood moves through, some flows into Bowmans where it becomes filtrate
Layers of the glomerular membrane
Filtrate must pass through 3 layers:
- Glomerular capillary wall
- Has pores allowing for passage of plasma, except large proteins and cells
- Basement membrane
- Is both a psychical barrier and electrical barrier (negatively charged), gel like
- Podocyte filtration slits
- These are wrapped around capillaries, spaces between are called filtration slits
Forces involved in glomerular filtration
3 pressure forces which will influence the rate at which filtrate is produced.
Hydrostatic (push) and osmotic (pull) pressures
- Glomerular capillary blood pressure
- Very high (dominant pressure), pressure of blood inside glomerular capillaries
- Created ass the efferent arterioles has a smaller radius than afferent
- Favours filtration (50 mm Hg on average)
- Plasma colloid osmotic pressure
- Plasma proteins that are contained in capillaries
- Osmolarity is greater in capillaries than bowman’s, pulling fluid back in
- Bowmans capsule hydrostatic pressure
- Pressure inside bowman’s capsule, increases when fluid enters
- Opposes filtration
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
GFR = The amount of filtrate the kidneys produce each minute (average 150L/day)
Depends on the net filtration pressure (balance of the 3 filtration pressures)
How is GRF regulated
Regulated by glomerular capillary blood pressure, afferent arterioles responses to changes in MAP
Vasoconstriction = decreases glomerular capillary blood pressure → decreased net filtration pressure and GRF
Vasodilation = increased glomerular capillary blood pressure → increased GFR
Diseases effecting GFR
Kidney stones
Obstruction in ureters → increase in Bowman’s capsule hydrostatic pressure → decreases GFR
Burns
Loss of protein rich plasma → decrease plasma colloid osmotic pressure → increases GFR
Why do we produce excessive filtrate and then reabsorb most of it
To quickly process foreign molecules
What is reabsorption
- Filtrate contains substance that body wants (water, nutrients, electrolytes)
- Reabsorption is the selective movement of substance from tubules back into the blood
- These substances travel back into the venous system via peritubular capillaries
Transepithelia transport direction (reabsorption)
Filtrate → luminal membrane → cytosol → basolateral membrane → intestinal fluid → capillary wall
Process of reabsorption in proximal tubule (establishing a gradient)
Filtrate that enters the tubular system has the same solute concentration as ECF (plasma) therefore a gradient must be produces to facilitate reabsorption:
Prox tubule
- Na reabsorbed by active transport to produce concentration and electrical gradient + osmotic gradient (filtrate to plasma)
- This electrical gradient allows the movement of anions (-ions) to the ECF (Cl-)
- This increases solute concentration in ECF and water follows via osmosis
- Water movements means the solutes in filtrate are now more concentrated, allowing for passive diffusion of solutes into ECF (urea, K, Ca)
Areas of Na reabsorption
Most of Na is reabsorbed from filtrate, this occurs along length of tubule but the role at each site is slightly different:
- Prox - Aids reabsorption of glucose, amino acids, eater, Cl and urea
- Loop of Henle - allows production of varying urine concentration
- Distal - regulates ECF volume
Process of Na reabsorption
Most of Na is reabsorbed from filtrate, this occurs along length of tubule but the role at each site is slightly different:
- Prox - Aids reabsorption of glucose, amino acids, eater, Cl and urea
- Loop of Henle - allows production of varying urine concentration
- Distal - regulates ECF volume
Transport across the basolateral membrane is active via Na/K pump and produces a Na concentration gradient (low in cell and high in interstitial fluid)
This then allows for passive diffusion across this established gradient meaning Na across luminal membrane (where the process can be repeated)
Na reabsorption allowing for glucose to be reabsorbed
- Secondary active transport with glucose and Na moving from lumen into cell down Na concentration gradient
- Glucose diffuses out basolateral side (facilitated diffusion)
- Na pumped out by Na/K pump
Secretion
From plasma into filtrate (reduce their concentration in blood)
K, Organic ion, H or HCO2- (bicarbonate) are often secreted
Is urine composition different from filtrate
- Important molecules are reabsorbed (glucose, amino acids)
- Waste products are concentrated (urea, drugs)
- Ions and water vary depending on blood concentration
Micturition reflex
Relates to the relaxation of both the internal (involuntary smooth muscle) and external (skeletal, voluntary) sphincters
- Controlled at spinal card (sympathetic)
- Filling of bladder stim stretch receptors, triggering parasympathetic stimulation of bladder (muscle contraction)
- internal sphincter opens
- Motor neurons innervating external sphincter are inhibited (part of reflex)
- Voluntary signals from cerebral cortex override this reflex and remove inhibition
What are the two ways in which the kidneys maintain fluid balance
Salt and water
Water reabsorption at different areas on the nephron
This process will vary to determine the osmolarity of the ECF
- Most water is reabsorbed through aquaporins
- In the prox tubule these are permanently inserted into the tubular cell membrane and as Na is reabsorbed via Na/K pump on the basolateral side.
- In the distal tubule water reabsorption is dependent by vasopressin to insert aquaporins into the luminal membrane (already in basolateral)
Vasopressin action
- Vasopressin in capillaries binds with its receptor on the basolateral side activating cAMP
- cAMP promotes insertion of aquaporins from vesicles in the cell (exocytosis) on luminal side allowing water to diffuse in
- The action of vasopressin is proportional (more vasopressin = more aquaporins)