41.2 The Kidneys and Osmoregulatory Organs

41.2 The Kidneys and Osmoregulatory Organs

• This can include reviewing patient history and current condition, assessing and responding to patient needs before and during treatment, and monitoring the process.

• Taking and reporting a patient's vital signs may be part of the treatment.

• The skin and lungs play a role in the process of osmoregulatory organs.
• Water and electrolytes are lost through sweat glands in the skin, which helps to cool the skin surface, while the lungs expel a small amount of water in the form of mucus and water vapor.

• The suprarenal glands are on top of the kidneys.
• The kidneys purify the blood.
• The human body's organs use up 25 percent of the oxygen in the lungs to process blood.
• The production of chemical energy through aerobic respiration is accomplished by the use of oxygen.

• The urine is stored in the bladder before being eliminated through the urethra.

• The hilum is the part of the bean-shape where blood vessels and nerves enter and exit the kidneys.
• The pyramids' tips point toward the body.
• There are eight pyramids in each of the kidneys.

• The structure of the organ is shown.

• There is a drain into the ureter.

• There are pyramids in the medulla.

• The network of blood vessels is an important part of the structure and function of the kidneys.
• The arteries, veins, and nerves that supply the kidneys enter and exit.
• There are arcs along the base of the medullary pyramids.
• The arterioles of the cortical arteries branch into the capillaries.
• There are no segmental veins and Veins trace the path of the arteries.

• There are over one million nephrons that dot the renal cortex, giving it a granular appearance when sectioned.

• The kidneys have a functional unit called the nephron.
• The glomerulus, convoluted tubules, and collecting ducts are located in the medulla.

• The duct empties into the tubule.

• The glomerulus is surrounded by the capsule.

• The glomerulus contains a long and convoluted structure that can be divided into three parts based on function.
• The contents of multiple nephrons are amass in the collecting ducts.

• The blood comes from the capillary network that comes from the renal arteries.
• The network of capillaries is called the glomerular capillary bed.

• The peritubular capillary network surrounds the DCT.

• To learn more about the workings of the nephrons, go to the website ( http://openstax.org/l/kidney_section).

• The glomerulus has a capillary network that filters blood.

• The filtrate is collected in the tubules.
• The filtrate continues to exchange solutes and water in the loop of Henle.
• During this step, water is reabsorbed.
• The filtrate is collected by the collecting ducts.
• The filtrate is delivered from here to the minor calyces that connect to the ureters.

• The nephron performs different functions in maintaining homeostatic balance.

• NH4 is formed when it reacts with H+ in the filtrate.
• The more acidic the filtrate, the more ammonia is produced.
• In the thick part, the ion are transported into the fluid.
• As the filtrate travels up the limb, it becomes less salty.

• Factors that affect systemic blood pressure do not affect the blood pressure in the glomerulus.
• The connections between the cells of the capillary network are leaking.
• There is no requirement for energy at this stage.
• GFR is an important indicator of kidneys function.

• Click through the blood flow to learn more.

• The part of the tubule that has tubular reabsorption is called the PCT.
• Almost all of the vitamins and minerals are reabsorbed.
• Reabsorption of water and some key electrolytes can be influenced by hormones.

• The most abundant ion is Na+), which is reabsorbed by active transport and then transported to the peritubular capillaries.
• Water follows Na+ out of the tubule because of the osmotic pressure.
• Water is reabsorbed into the peritubular capillaries by the presence of aquaporins.
• The peritubular capillaries have high osmotic pressure and low blood pressure.

• The descending limb is impermeable to water while the ascending limb is not.
• The loop of Henle invades the renal medulla, which is naturally high in salt concentration and tends to absorb water from the renal tubule and concentrate the filtrate.
• As it moves deeper into the medulla, the osmotic gradient increases.

• The loop of Henle uses energy to create concentration gradients.
• The limb is wet.
• Osmolality inside the limb increases as water flows from the filtrate to the interstitial fluid.
• The osmolality is higher at the bottom.
• As filtrate enters the ascending limb, Na+ and Cl- ions exit through ion channels.
• Na+ is transported out of the filtrate.
• There are units of milliosmoles per liter.

• Sometimes loop diuretics are used to treat hypertension.
• The drugs prevent the reabsorption of Na+ by the loop of Henle.
• They increase urination.

• Most of the urine and solutes have been reabsorbed by the time the filtrate reaches the DCT.
• All of it can be reabsorbed if the body requires more water.
• Further reabsorption is controlled by hormones.
• Lack of reabsorption combined with tubular secretion leads to excretion of waste.
• Undesirable products like urea, uric acid, and certain drugs are not good for you.