Renal System Flashcards
(43 cards)
The Renal System
renal system- integrative system
uses-
excretion of waste
regulate h20 and electrolyte balance
hormones
5 renal functions
Removing waste products and drugs from the body by filtering the blood
Regulating the body’s fluid and electrolyte balance by increasing or decreasing the urine production
Producing hormones that regulate blood pressure, stimulate bone marrow to produce blood cells, and promote bone health
Producing an active form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium
Maintaining the acid-base balance of the body by excreting excess acids or bases
Kidneys
One of a pair of organs in the abdomen. The kidneys remove waste and extra water from the blood (as urine) and help keep chemicals (such as sodium, potassium, and calcium) balanced in the body. The kidneys also make hormones that help control blood pressure and stimulate bone marrow to make red blood cells
Renal artery
blood waste and water enter the Kidney through renal artery
renal vein
filtered blood or excess water leaves through the vein
ureter
excess water and toxic waste leave in the form of urine
Nephron
Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the
kidney. Each kidney has over 1 million of these units.
Each nephron consists of a renal corpuscle, which
contains the glomerulus (which is a tuft of capillaries)
and a renal tubule.
The tubule forms a cup shape around the glomerulus
called the glomerular capsule (Bowman’s capsule).
Juxtaglomerular Apparatus
The juxtaglomerular cells are
mechanoreceptors (they sense blood pressure) in the afferent arteriole.
The macula densa cells are
chemoreceptors that respond to changes in the NaCl content of the filtrate.
Basic Renal Processes
- Glomerular Filtration
~20% of plasma entering GC is filtered
into BC - Tubular secretion
- Tubular reabsorption
Differential Handling in the Kidney
The excretion of a substance is equal to the amount filtered plus the amount secreted minus the
amount reabsorbed.
In summary
A substance can gain entry to the tubule and be excreted in the urine by
glomerular filtration or tubular secretion, or both
Once in the tubule, however, the substance does not have to be excreted
but can be completely reabsorbed
Thus: Amount excreted=
Amount filtered+
Amount secreted-
Amount reabsorbed
Glomerular Filtration (GFR)
The GFR is the amount of blood filtered by the glomeruli each minute.
Factor influencing GFR
Capillary permeability [+]
Surface area (the size of the capillary bed)
Hydrostatic pressure that drives fluid out of the capillaries
Osmotic forces within the capillaries, which oppose the exit of fluid
Net filtration pressure = ∆P - ∆∏
Where ∆P is the transcapillary hydrostatic pressure gradient, and ∆π is the colloid osmotic pressure gradient.
Glomerular Filtration (GFR)
Glomerular Filtration
The kidney’s glomeruli are far more efficient
filter than other capillary beds in the body
because:
Filtration membrane is a large surface area and very
permeable to water and solutes.
Glomerular pressure is higher (~55 mm Hg), so they produce
180 L/day vs. 3-4 L/day formed by other capillary beds.
That’s 125 mL/min of total plasma volume (~3 L total PV)
Thus, kidney’s filter the entire PV ~ 60 times in a day!
Important During filtration plasma proteins remain in
plasma to maintain osmotic pressure.
Blood cells or protein in the urine (proteinuria)
indicates a problem with the filtration membrane.
Common finding during diabetes and hypertension and
signals that kidney damage has occurred. If untreated, will
progress to end stage renal disease and renal failure.
Tubular Reabsorption
Tubular reabsorption begins as soon as filtrate enters the
tubule cells.
Paracellular transport occurs between cells (even though
they have tight junctions) and is seen mainly with ions.
Transport can be active (requires ATP) or passive (no ATP).
Tubular Secretion
Substances such as hydrogen ion, potassium, and organic anions move
from the peritubular capillaries into the tubular lumen.
Tubular secretion is an important mechanism for:
1. disposing of drugs and drug metabolites.
2. eliminating undesired substances or end products that have reabsorbed by
passive processes (urea and uric acid).
3. removing excess K+.
4. controlling blood pH.
“Division of Labour” in the Tubules
The majority of the reabsorption is accomplished by the proximal
tubule and the loop of Henle.
Extensive reabsorption by the proximal tubule and Henle’s loop
ensures that the masses of solutes and the volume of water entering
the tubular segments beyond Henle’s loop are relatively small.
These distal segments then do the fine-tuning for most substances,
determining the final amounts excreted in the urine by adjusting their
rates of reabsorption and, in a few cases, secretion.
Renal Clearance (RC)
Renal Clearance (mL/min) is the amount of a substance filtered per minute, divided
by its plasma concentration. The clearance for any substance can be calculated.
RC=(U*V)/P
U=concentration of the substance in the urine (mg/mL)
V=flow rate of urine formation (mL/min)
P=concentration of substance in the plasma (mg/mL)
If the substance is freely filtered and not reabsorbed or secreted, this ratio allows us
to estimate the rate at which fluid is filtered at the glomerulus (that is, the GFR).
To determine RC we use inulin ( it’s freely filtered and neither reabsorbed nor
secreted).
Creatinine can be used but is less accurate.
Calculating GFR
GFR=125ml/min
normal GFR=120ml/min
Filtration fraction
The filtration fraction is the proportion of the plasma that enters the
kidneys that is subsequently filtered at the glomerulus and passes into
the renal tubules.
It is calculated from the ratio GFR/Renal Plasma Flow (RPF)
Filtration fraction is typically 0.16-0.20
Meaning, 20% of the blood that enters the kidneys is filtered
Summary
Renal Function
The kidneys regulate the water and ionic composition of the body, excrete waste products,
excrete foreign chemicals, produce glucose during prolonged fasting, and release factors
and hormones into the blood
Structure of the Kidneys and Urinary System
Each nephron in the kidneys consists of a renal corpuscle and a tubule.
Each renal corpuscle has a glomerulus and a Bowman’s capsule.
The tubule extends from the Bowman’s capsule and is subdivided into the proximal
tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, and collecting-duct system.
At the level of the collecting ducts, multiple tubules join and empty into the renal pelvis,
from which urine flows through the ureters to the bladder.
Each glomerulus is supplied with blood by an afferent arteriole, and an efferent arteriole
leaves the glomerulus to branch into peritubular capillaries, which supply the tubule.
summary
Basic Renal Processes
The three basic renal processes are glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and
tubular secretion.
Glomerular filtrate contains all plasma substances other than proteins (and substances
bound to proteins) in virtually the same concentrations as in plasma.
Glomerular filtration is driven by the hydrostatic pressure in the glomerular capillaries and
is opposed by both the hydrostatic pressure in Bowman’s space and the osmotic force due
to the proteins in the glomerular capillary plasma.
As the filtrate moves through the tubules, certain substances are reabsorbed either by
diffusion or by mediated transport.
Tubular secretion, like glomerular filtration, is a pathway for the entrance of a substance
into the tubule.
Summary
The Concept of Renal Clearance
The clearance of any substance can be calculated by dividing the mass of the substance
excreted per unit time by the plasma concentration of the substance.
GFR can be measured experimentally by means of the inulin clearance and estimated
clinically by means of the creatinine clearance.
Renal Sodium and Water Regulation
Renal response to exercise
title
Fluid compartments of the body
Water makes up approximately 60% of our lean body weight
Our total body water is distributed within and outside our cells
2/3 of our total body water
is located within our cells
intracellular fluid
The remaining 1/3 is
outside the cells
extracellular fluid