Renal Flashcards
(179 cards)
What do the kidneys do?
Make urine Control blood pressure Control red cell production Contribute to vitamin D metabolism Communicate with CNS
How much plasma does it take to make two litres of urine?
200 L
What proportion of the cardiac output goes to the kidneys?
20-25%
What are the parts of the nephron?
Bowman's capsule Proximal tubule Loop of Henle Distal tubule Collecting duct
What are the processes going on in the nephron, and in which order?
Filtration = blood to lumen Reabsorption = lumen to blood Secretion = blood to lumen Excretion = lumen to external environment
What is the epithelium around glomerulus capillaries modified into?
Podocytes
What is the Bowman’s space?
Plasma enters here before proximal tubule
How do podocytes form part of the filtration barrier?
Interdigitate
Through what structure in the podocytes does filtration take place?
Podocyte foot processes surround each capillary
Leave slits through which filtration takes place
What maintains capillary oncotic pressure?
Albumin
- Loss causes oedema
Define renal blood flow
Rate of blood flow through glomerulus
Define renal plasma flow
Rate of plasma flow through glomerulus
Define filtration fraction
Proportion of plasma filtered by glomerulus
Define GFR?
Volume of plasma filtered by glomerulus per unit time
What is the most important force that affects GFR?
Hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillary
What is the hydrostatic pressure in the glomerular capillary?
55 mmHg
What happens when the hydrostatic pressure in the glomerular capillaries increases?
Damages capillaries > lose nephron > other nephrons have increased blood flow > increase hydrostatic pressure further > damage more nephrons > chronic renal failure
What happens to GFR when the afferent arteriole dilates?
Increases
What happens to GFR when the efferent arteriole constricts?
Increases
Between which range of mean arterial pressure is GFR maintained, even as mean arterial pressure changes?
80-180 mmHg
How is GFR stabilised with variations in mean arterial pressure?
Autoregulation
- Myogenic response
- Tubuloglomerular feedback
What is the myogenic response?
Increase pressure in glomerular capillaries > cells stretch > automatic constriction
What is tubuloglomerular feedback?
GFR increases > macula densa picks up too much NaCl in filtrate > afferent arteriole constricts > decrease GFR
What is the effect of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system on renal excretion?
Angiotensin II
- Increases Na absorption in proximal tubule
- Constricts efferent arteriole
Aldosterone
- Increases Na absorption in collecting ducts