BIOL 3364 Clinical Biochemistry Tutorial #1 Urinalysis, Stool Analysis & Hematology

1) A- left kidney B- ureter C- urinary bladder D-urethra E- renal pelvis F- ureter G- cortex H- renal pyramid I- Bowmans capsule J- glomerulus K- Loop of Henle L- distal convoluted tubule M-medullary collecting duct N- cortical collecting duct 2) The kidneys function as biological purification plants to remove harmful toxins, metabolic wastes and excess ions from the blood. 3) The components of a urine sample from a healthy individual consists of: 96% water, 2% urea from the breakdown of amino acids and 2% of inorganic compounds (Cl-, Na+, K+, SO42-, PO42-, HCO3-) and organic compounds (creatinine and uric acid). 4) Three kidney diseases that may cause abnormal urinalysis results are: diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atherosclerosis. 5) Renal threshold is when the concentration of a substance dissolved in the blood above which the kidneys begin to remove it into the urine. When the renal threshold of a substance is surpassed, reabsorption of the substance by the proximal convoluted tubule is incomplete; thus, part of the substance is excreted in the urine. 6) A diuretic is any substance that helps in the removal of excess fluid through increased urination. 4 natural diuretics that may be found in the Caribbean diet are: tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and celery. 7) Anuria is the absence of urine production often caused by failure in the function of kidneys. Clean catch urine is a urine sample that is collected to be tested. This type of urine is necessary when urine is to be cultured for microorganisms as it prevents germs from the genitals from entering the sample. 8) Three commonly used means of preserving urine are: refrigeration, commercial transport tubes and use of preservatives such as hydrochloric acid or glacial acetic acid. 9) The limitations of commercial transport tubes are: pH and SG may be altered, varies with tube used; can interfere with chemistry tests (e.g., sodium, potassium, hormone, drug

assays). The limitations of acids are: unacceptable for urinalysis testing; potential chemical hazard. 10) Three components of urinalysis are: gross/physical examination, chemical screening, and sediment examination. 11) Four causes of abnormal urine colors are: rhabdomyolysis, urinary tract infection, hepatitis and acute infective cystitis. 12) Three causes of cloudy urine are the presence of bacteria, sperm and crystals. 13) The specific gravity of urine will reflect generalized renal impairment as it shows the ability of the nephron tubules to excrete solids and reabsorb substances needed for homeostasis. 14) A darker coloured urine would have a higher specific gravity. This is because specific gravity of urine is a measurement of the density of urine - the relative proportions of dissolved solids in relationship to the total volume of the specimen. As such, darker urine will always have a higher specific gravity as it is denser than lighter coloured urine. 15) 6 chemical tests routinely performed on urine using reagent strips are: glucose, bilirubin, ketones, blood, pH and protein.