Week 3 Flashcards
(189 cards)
What are the main functions of the kidney?
Filter metabolic waste
Control fluid volume
Maintain electrolyte balance
How many litres of water are in the body?
42L (60% weight)
What are the body fluid compartments?
Intracellular
Extracellular - intravascular, extravascular (interstitial)
In what direction do oncotic and hydrostatic pressure push fluid?
Oncotic - inwards
Hydrostatic - outwards
What percentage of the cardiac output do the kidneys receive?
20%
What are the 3 main processes which occur in the nephron?
Glomerular filtration
Tubular reabsorption
Tubular secretion
What is glomerular filtration?
Filtering of blood into tubule forming the primitive urine (glomerular filtrate)
What is tubular reabsorption?
Selective absorption of substances from tubule to blood
What is tubular secretion?
Secretion of substances from blood to tubular fluid
What is the glomerular filtration barrier?
Size-selective sieve with specialised capillary endothelium, glomerular basement membrane and podocyte foot processes which allows filtration of extracellular fluid
What particles are not filtered by the kidney?
Haemoglobin, albumin, RBCs
What is a normal glomerular filtration rate?
100ml/min (144L/day)
What particles are filtered by the kidney?
Glucose, water, urea, amino acids, salt
What are the main epithelial features of the proximal convoluted tubule?
Basolateral Na/K ATPase
Cl enters, creating an osmotic gradient for water to be reabsorbed
Basolateral membrane infoldings rich in mitochondria
Apical membrane has microvilli and aquaporins
What are the main epithelial features of the collecting duct?
Principle cells and intercalated cells working side-by-side
Principle cell - Na/K ATPase, epithelial Na channels, K moves into lumen
Intercalated cell - H ions move into lumen due to negative charge created by Na entering the cells
What are the main epithelial features of the thick ascending loop of Henle?
Na/K ATPase
NKCC transporter
K leaks into lumen creating a positive charge so Ca and Mg move paracellularly to interstitium
Which part of the nephron is responsible for fine tuning?
DCT
What parts of the nephron are responsible for altering urine concentration?
LoH and CD
What is the plasma osmolality?
300 mosmoles/kg
What is the basic mechanism of the countercurrent exchange multiplier?
Thick ascending limb is impermeable to water (but not Na) - dilute tubule contents and concentrated interstitium
Concentrated interstitium encourages water to leave in the thin descending limb
Increased efficiency
Vasa recta do not wash away the gradient
What does ADH do to the nephron?
Stimulates insertion of aquaporins in the CD and DCT when fluid volume is sensed to be low which causes water and salt conservation, leading to concentrated urine production
How does the kidney interact with the systemic circulation?
Baroreceptors detect reduced pressure → brain increases sympathetic activity and ANP/BNP produced → heart pumps harder → constriction of afferent arteriole → reduced blood to kidneys and reduced filtration = protects
extracellular fluid volume → pressure increased
What is the juxta-glomerular apparatus?
Specialised structure formed by the distal convoluted tubule and the glomerular afferent arteriole
Functions to regulate blood pressure and filtration rate of the glomerulus
What is the macula densa and how does it function?
Region of specialised cells lining the distal convoluted tubule which monitors NaCl concentration and tubular flow