Renal Physiology

Question 1

What is water intoxication ? why is it dangerous

Answer 1

• Drinking too much water can cause water poisoning ( hyponatremia) , a decrease of sodium in the blood to dangerously low levels, causing mild to life-threatening problems
• Confusion, nausea, and vomiting are symptoms. Severe causes can cause seizures, coma, and death

Question 2

What does drinking sea water cause?

Answer 2

Sea water is about 4 times more salty than body fluids. urine can only be produced when it is at a lower salt level than sea water, the body must give up water to get rid of the rising salt levels in the extracellular fluids around the its cells

Question 3

How does the hydrometer work?

Answer 3

Urine is poured into the black line of the glass cylinder. The hydrometer is lowered and released to bob in the urine

Question 4

Define specific gravity

Answer 4

Is a test conducted on urine. It shows (Sodium) of the excreted urine.
normal is 1.000-1.030

Question 5

Normal range of urinary pH?

Answer 5

(5-7)

Question 6

Role of the kidney in pH

Answer 6

The kidney regulates blood pH by re-absorption or secretion of HCO3-.

Question 7

If the blood pH is too basic (higher than pH=7.45)

Answer 7

the kidney will allow the HCO3- in the nephron to be excreted. This reduction in buffer (bicarbonate) allows H+ to increase in the blood lowering pH making the blood more acidic

Question 8

If the blood is too acidic (lower than 5

Answer 8

the kidney will reabsorb more HCO3- which will bind H+ and reduce acidity

Question 9

How is the concentration of urine driven by osmolarity?

Question 10

Filtration at the glomerulus

Answer 10

Is a capillary bed in each kidney nephron. only 20% of the blood from the afferent arteriole enters through the glomerulus into the nephron, while 80% of the blood flow right past the nephron and does not get cleared.

Question 11

The portion of the blood that does not pass through the glomerulus

Answer 11

-enters Bowman’s capsule of the nephron
-proximal convoluted tubule
-Descending loop of Henle
-Ascending loop of Henle
-Distal convoluted tubules
- collecting duct
-Renal pelvis of kidney

Question 12

How is the GFR and renal disease connected

Answer 12

The amount of blood filtered over time by the kidney. It normally declines after 60 years of age, early declines may be due to acute ot chronic renal disease

Question 13

What do colors indicate in urine samples

Answer 13

pale yellow to amber - normal
dark yellow to orange - dehydration
Red/pink blood in urine, consumption of beets
Blue or Green-food or consumption of synthetic dyes
Cloudy/milky-UTI, kidney stone
Brown -liver disorder

Question 14

Types of things tested in complete urinalysis

Answer 14

Physical Examination: Color
Chemical Examination: pH, Glucose
Microscopic Examination: RBCs, WBCs,

Question 15

Aldosterone

Answer 15

The adrenal cortex makes aldosterone. Working with renin formed by the kidney, aldosterone stimulates the collecting duct in the nephron to reabsorb Sodium back into the bloodstream when Sodium are low

Question 16

Vasopressin/ ADH/ antidiuretic

Answer 16

Is secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulates the collecting duct to reabsorb water when the water levels are low in the blood ( person is dehydrated)

Question 17

Know the five main functions of the kidney

Answer 17

1- keeping water levels and inorganic ions like Sodium balanced in the blood
2-Removing nitrogenous waste from the blood (Proteins such as ammonia, urea, uric acid, and creatine)
3-Removal of xenobiotics from blood ( foreign, BPA, Acetaminophen )
4- Gluconeogenesis, making of lactate, glycerol, glycogenic acids
5- Secrete several hormones, (erythropoietin, renin, prostaglandins

Question 18

Aquaporins

Answer 18

are the protein channels (tubes) which the water leaves the collecting duct to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, thus ADH causes the insertion of aquaporins into collecting duct

Question 19

functional unit of the kidney

Answer 19

nephron

Question 20

bring blood to the kidney but only some of the blood gets filtered into the kidney

Answer 20

afferent arterioles

Question 21

blood that doesnt get filtered

Answer 21

efferent arteriole