Kidney and Urinary System Function Quiz

Functions of the Kidneys and Urinary System

• The kidneys function as an excretory organ by removing excess substances, harmful materials, and waste products through filtration.
• They regulate the volume and composition of body fluids by maintaining blood pH, regulating blood pressure, and blood osmolarity.
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can lead to electrolyte imbalance and accumulation of waste products, causing toxicity.
• The kidneys have endocrine functions, producing active Vitamin D3, renal prostaglandins, erythropoietin, and renin.
• CKD can lead to complications such as osteoporosis and anemia due to the endocrine functions of the kidneys.
• The structure of the kidney includes the renal hilum, nephrons (1 million per kidney), and types of nephrons (superficial cortical and juxtamedullary).
• The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, consisting of the renal corpuscle and renal tubule.
• The renal artery branches into segmental arteries, interlobar arteries, arcuate arteries, and afferent arterioles, which lead to glomerular capillaries.
• Afferent arterioles filter ~20% of plasma, and efferent arterioles carry ~80% of liquid to the peritubular capillaries.
• The peritubular capillaries and vasa recta serve as a blood supply for reabsorption and secretion, as well as an osmotic exchanger for urine production.
• The body's water content is distributed between intracellular fluid (ICF) and extracellular fluid (ECF), with the ECF further divided into plasma and interstitial fluid.
• Osmolarity, the concentration of osmotically active particles, is equal between intracellular and extracellular compartments, maintained by energy-consuming transport mechanisms.