Anatomy
Why does the right kidney sit lower than the left?
The Liver takes up a lot of space in the right upper quadrant so the right kidney sits below it, which is slightly lower than the left.
Which vessel do we possess on the arterial side of our kidney, but not the venus side?
Segmental Vein
What is the driving force of filtration?
Blood pressure
It decreases GFR via vasoconstriction of afferent arteriole and decreasing glomerular surface area.
What is the presence of glucose in urine called? What is the most likely cause?
Glucosuria, diabetes mellitus.
What are the layers that surround and support the kidney from innermost to outermost?
Fibrous capsule → perinephric fat → renal fascia → paranephric fat
What structure receives filtrate directly from the glomerulus?
What main substance is freely filtered but is 100% reabsorbed?
Explain the difference between the renal threshold and transport maximum
Transport maximum: maximum amount of a substance that can be transported in a given time dependent on the number of transport proteins.
Renal threshold: The maximum concentration of fluid that will lead to no substance left over in urine
What is it called when there is protein in the urine? What are the 2 possible main causes?
Proteinuria, damaged filtration membrane, excess protein in blood.
Mitochondria to provide ATP for active transport and microvilli for increased surface area for reabsorption
Name the location at which the fluid is called filtrate, tubular fluid, and urine.
filtrate: Bowman's capsule
tubular fluid: PCT
Urine: Papillary Duct
What are the 2 most common reasons that a substance can't pass through the filtration membrane?
Size and negative charge
Which hormone is released when baroreceptors in the atria detect stretch increased blood volume. What does this hormone do?
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide. It causes vasodilation of afferent arteriole to increase blood flow into glomerulus
What is renal ptosis? What does it often lead to?
When adipose tissue loss leads to the drooping of the kidney. It often leads to hydronephrosis
What are the 3 layers of the filtration membrane in decreasing selectivity?
Visceral layer of bowman's capsule (podocytes), basement membrane, endothelium
Trace the pattern of urine flow starting at the PCT
PCT, Loop of Henle, DCT, collecting tubule, collecting duct, papillary duct, minor calyx, major calyx, renal pelvis, ureter, urinary bladder, urethra
If the systemic blood pressure is too high, what occurs in the afferent arteriole and mesangial cells to regulate blood pressure within the nephron?
The afferent arteriole vasoconstricts, and mesangial cells contract to reduce surface area of the glomerulus.
What is obligatory water reabsorption?
Water automatically follows sodium and glucose as they are reabsorbed.
Why does diabetes mellitus often lead to excessive thirst and frequent urination?
Glucose pulls water into the renal tubule, leading to more than ideal amounts of water being excreted causing the body to be thirsty.
Explain how the structural arrangement of the kidney’s surrounding layers contributes to both protection and positional stability.
Trace the order of blood flow through the kidney starting at the renal artery.
Renal artery, segmental artery, interlobar artery, arcuate artery, interlobular artery, afferent arteriole, glomerulus, efferent arteriole, interlobular vein, arcuate vein, interlobar vein, renal vein
Predict how an increase in capsular hydrostatic pressure would affect GFR and explain why.
Capsular hydrostatic pressure opposes filtration. Which would decrease NFP. With a smaller NFP, GFR would decrease
A patient is severely dehydrated with low blood volume. Predict how ADH and aldosterone levels will change, and explain the effects on blood volume and urine concentration.
A patient has low blood pH (acidosis). How will the kidneys respond in terms of H⁺ and HCO₃⁻, and what will happen to urine pH?
In acidosis, the kidneys increase H⁺ secretion and reabsorb more HCO₃⁻, resulting in more acidic urine and helping raise blood pH.