Renal Physiology Flashcards
(128 cards)
Functions of the kidneys
overall function: maintain homeostasis
how do the kidneys maintain homeostasis
- blood (plasma) in equilibrium with the ECF
- controlling blood composition (amount of electrolytes, water) will control the composition to the ECF
- regulates electrolytes ( NA K Cl Ca and PO34)
- control the release of ions into the urine (some you want to keep and some you dont)
- proper ecf (ion) helps maintain proper plasma volume (osmotic pressure)
- regulate water balance in the body, through water conservation from, or release into the urine
- maintain pH by controlling H and HCo3 release into urine
- excrete metabolic waste products (filters the blood, anything released and not used)
- excrete foreign compounds from the body (such as drugs and chemicals)
- secrete hormones : erthropoietin and renin
- metabolism - convert vitamine D into its actin form
where are the kidneys located
2 kidneys retroperitoneal, stuck to the body wall not free in abdomen
- towards the back of the body
kidney anatomy
- out cortex region and inner medulla region
- very large renal artery and vein enter renal hilus area
- ureter is collecting tube that takes urine to the bladder
- nephron is the functional unit of the kidney
variation in mammalian kidneys
- equine with heart shaped right and near bean shaped left kidneys
- bovine kidneys with lobulated cortex but fused medulla
- canine bean shaped kidneys with fused cortex and medulla (no sepparation of cortex and medulla)
the nephron
- two parts
- vascular - blood containing portion
- tubular - urine containing portion
blood flow to the kidney path
- 20% of cardiac output goes to kidneys
- path - renal artery - branches to smaller arteries - afferent arteriole (arrives) - glomerulus (site of filtration and leaky capillaries
- filtration - efferent arteriole (exsists capsule) - peritubular capillaries (vasa recta) - renal vein
filtrate flow through the kidneys
- tubular flow
- path - bowmans capsule collects the filtrate from glomerulus (leaking) - proximal tubule - loop of hele (descending and ascending parts - distale tubule - collecting duct
the two types of nephrons
- collecting ducts from all nephrons pass though the medulla
- the cortical nephrons are located within the cortex with the loop of henle (L of H) dipping slightly into the medulla
- the juxtamedullary nephrons have their bowmans capsule in the cortex, but their L of H extends deeply into the medulla
urine formation 3 processes
- filtration
- tubular reabsorbtion
- tubular secretion
step 1: glomerular filtration
- the sieve = 3 layers
1. endothelium
2. basement membrane
3. podocyte
what is filtered out of the glomerulus
- plamsa
- electrolytes
- small peptide (like toxins)
what is not filtered and stays in the blood
- most plasma proteins (albumin, globulins usually too large to pass through)
- red and white blood cells, platelets (too large)
- negatively charged compounds have more difficulty being filtered - repelled by negatively charged glomerulus basement memebrane
filtration forces
- capillary blood pressure - favours filtration
- pressure pushing plasma into bowmans capsule
- pressure controlled by the diameter of afferent and efferent arterioles
- afferent arteriole diameter > efferent diameter:
- backlog of blood in the glomerulus
increases capillary blood pressure
plasma colloid osmotic pressure
- opposes filtration of plasma
- plamsa proteins are too large for filtration
- osmotic pressure force of non filtered protein pulls plasma back into glomerulus from bowmans capsule
bowmans capsule hydrostatic pressure
- opposes filtration of plasma
- backflow pressure that pushes plasma out of bowmans capsule back into the glomerulus - rushes in water, identifies to much pressure, and immediately goes back out
net filtration pressure
- capillary blood pressure
- plasma colliod osmotic pressure
- hydrostatic pressure
- decreases osmotic pressure = decreases filtration rate
GFR
- golmerular filtration rate
- rate of filtration production in the glomerulus
- net filtration pressure x Kf
- Kf filtration coefficient - how much surface is avaliable for filtering in the glomerulus, hoe permeable the membrane (how holy/leaky the membrane is)
- filtration pressure increases, GFR increases
control of GFR
- net filtration pressure = plasma colloid pressure and bowmans capsule hydrostatic pressure are not easily regulated
- capillary BP is altered by changing afferent arteriole diameter - can be modified
autoregulation
- kidneys try to maiantain constant blood flow to the glomerulus
- easiest way : change afferent arteriole diameter
two primary autoregulation mechanisms
- myogenic control
- tubuloglonerular feedback (juxtaglomerular apparatus)
myogenic control
- stretch mechanism in smooth muscle
- if glomerulus pressure is too high, afferent artery constricts to reduce pressure (decrease blood flow to glomerulous)
- if glomerulus presrue is too low, afferent artery dilates - to increase pressure (increasing blood flow to glomerulus)
tubuloglomerular feedback
- juxtoglomerular apparatus
- ## detects Na Cl to increase the tubular flow
what is BP is too low
- tubular flow lower than expected
- low salt detected at macular densa
- could indicate low GFR (kidney) or renal flow (systemic)
- release chemicals that cause vasodilation of afferent arteriole