The Kidneys Flashcards
(42 cards)
vena cava :
main vein returning blood to the heart
renal vein :
takes “cleaned” blood away from kidneys
aorta :
main artery supplying oxygenated blood to body
renal artery :
brings blood containing “waste” to the kidneys
urethra :
carries urine out of the body
ureter :
carry urine to the bladder
bladder :
muscular sac that stores urine (~ 700 cm)
sphincter muscle :
keeps bladder close
medulla :
lighter middle layer of kidney
pelvis :
central cavity which collects urine
cortex :
darker outer layer
nephron :
filtration unit (where the urine is produced)
The main function of the kidney is to ….
get rid of waste such as:
• Urea
• Excess water
• Excess salt (mineral ions)
Substances found in uncleaned blood :
urea, proteins, cells, glucose, amino acids, salt and water
Substances found in urine :
urea and some salt and water
Substances found in cleaned blood :
proteins, cells, glucose, amino acids, some salt and water and very little urea
It is important to remove urea because …
it is toxic
It is important to remove excess water because …
of its osmotic effect
It is important to remove excess salt because …
of its osmotic effect
When you compare the composition of blood and urine, you can see that some substances are ….
more abundant in urine than in blood
The substances more abundant in urine than in blood are …
waste substances, such as urea, which the body doesn’t want
There is about 60 times more urea …
in urine than in blood
The explanation is that as the blood passes through the kidney …
urea is taken out of it and passed into the urine.
However, the kidneys do more than simply …
cleanse the blood of urea