Urinary System: Acid-Base Balance and Water Balance

These flashcards cover essential terms and concepts related to the urinary system, focusing on the anatomy and functions involved in acid-base balance and water balance.

Renal lobe

Structure in the kidney that contains renal pyramids, renal cortex area, renal columns, and functional units called nephrons.

Hilum

An indentation of the kidney that serves as a point of entry for the renal artery and renal nerves, and a point of exit for the renal vein and ureter.

Nephron

Functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and forming urine.

Glomerulus

A network of capillaries in the renal corpuscle where blood filtration occurs.

Loop of Henle

Part of the nephron that plays a crucial role in concentrating urine, consisting of a descending limb that is permeable to water and an ascending limb that is impermeable to water.

Afferent arteriole

Blood vessel that carries blood into the glomerulus.

Efferent arteriole

Blood vessel that carries blood away from the glomerulus.

ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone)

Hormone that promotes water reabsorption in the kidneys, decreasing urine output and concentrating urine.

Aldosterone

Hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that increases sodium reabsorption and potassium secretion in the kidneys.

Renin-angiotensin system

Hormonal system that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance through the release of renin, angiotensin II production, and effects on blood vessels and kidneys.

Tubular Reabsorption

Process by which the kidneys reabsorb useful substances from the filtrate back into the blood.

Metabolic acidosis

Condition characterized by increased acidity of the blood due to problems with metabolism or kidney function.

Natriuretic peptides (ANP & BNP)

Hormones that help regulate blood pressure and fluid balance by promoting sodium excretion and relaxing blood vessels.

Fenestrated capillaries

Capillaries in the glomerulus that have pores allowing permeability to water and small solutes while blocking larger molecules.

Glomerular filtration membrane

The barrier consisting of the capillary wall, basement membrane, and podocytes that filters blood in the glomerulus.

Net Filtration Pressure (NFP)

The overall pressure that drives fluid out of the glomerulus and into the nephron, calculated by the difference between glomerular hydrostatic pressure and opposing pressures.

Renal capsule

The outer protective layer surrounding the kidney.

Minor and major calyx

Structures in the kidney that collect urine from the renal pyramids and transport it to the renal pelvis.

Ureter

Tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.

Urinary bladder

Organ that stores urine before it is excreted.

Renal pelvis

The funnel-shaped structure that gathers urine from the calyces and directs it into the ureter.