Lecture #28 - Kidney Filtration

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to kidney filtration and its processes.

Glomerular filtration

Process by which the kidneys filter blood, removing excess wastes and fluids.

Nephrons

Functional units of the kidney, > 1 million per kidney, responsible for filtering blood and forming urine.

Tubular reabsorption

Process in which the nephron takes back substances from filtrate into the blood.

Tubular secretion

Process that adds substances from blood to the filtrate, helping to eliminate wastes.

Net Filtration Pressure (NFP)

The overall pressure that determines the direction and amount of the filtrate formed in the kidney.

Hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries (HP gc)

The pressure that pushes water and solutes out of the blood, approximately 55 mm Hg.

Osmotic pressure in glomerular capillaries (OP gc)

Pressure due to proteins that pull water back into the capillaries, about 30 mm Hg.

Podocytes

Specialized cells in the kidney that wrap around capillaries of the glomerulus, contributing to the filtration barrier.

Fenestrations

Pores in the capillary endothelium of the glomerulus that allow selective filtration.

Cortical nephrons

Nephrons primarily located in the cortex of the kidney, making up 85% of all nephrons.

Juxtamedullary nephrons

Nephrons that have long loops of Henle that extend into the medulla, important for urine concentration.

Filtrate

Fluid that has passed through the glomerular filter, containing water, ions, and small molecules.

Renal tubule

Section of the nephron following the glomerulus where reabsorption and secretion occur.

Collecting duct

The duct that collects filtrate from multiple nephrons, concentrating urine before it exits the kidney.

Renal corpuscle

Structure composed of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule where renal filtration occurs.