Function

1. Remove nitrogenous wastes

2. Maintain electrolyte, acid-base,
and fluid balance of blood
3. Homeostatic organ
4. Acts as blood filter
5. Release hormones: calcitriol &
erythropoietin
• Diuretic- loose water; coffee, alcohol
• Antidiuretic- retain water; ADH
• Aldosterone- sodium & water reabsorption,
and K+ excretion
• GFR= 180 liters (50 gal) of blood/day
• 178-179 liters are reabsorbed back into
blood
• Excrete a protein free filtrate
kidneys
ureters

urinary
bladder
urethra
 nephron

renal cortex

renal medulla renal pelvis

renal pyramids

ureter
renal capsule
A Kidney
Blood and waste enter
through renal artery

Filtered blood leaves

through renal vein

Excess water and toxic

waste leaves through ureter
as urine
afferent
arteriole glomerulus

Bowman’s
capsule

efferent
arteriole
Filters blood; proteins can’t pass through
 Proteins

Amino acids

COOH -NH2

Ammonia Urea Uric Acid

Each kidney contains over 1 million nephrons and thousands
of collecting ducts

Glomerulus DCT

renal
cortex

PCT
renal
medulla
Collecting duct
Loop of Henle
 DCT

Glomerulus PCT

Collecting duct

Peritubular
capillaries
Loop of Henle To renal pelvis
• Water
• Small Soluble Organic
Molecules
• Mineral Ions
 Reabsorbs: water, glucose,
amino acids, and sodium.
• 65% of Na+ is reabsorbed
• 65% of H2O is reabsorbed
• 90% of filtered bicarbonate (HCO3-)
• 50% of Cl- and K+
Creates a gradient of increasing
sodium ion concentration towards
the end of the loop within the
interstitial fluid of the renal pyramid.

• 25% Na+ is reabsorbed in the loop

• 15% water is reabsorbed in the loop
• 40% K is reabsorbed in the loop
 Under the influence of the hormone
aldosterone, reabsorbs sodium and
secretes potassium. Also regulates
pH by secreting hydrogen ion when
pH of the plasma is low.

• only 10% of the filtered NaCl and 20% of water

remains
 Allows for the osmotic
reabsorption of water.

ADH (antidiuretic hormone)- makes

collecting ducts more permeable to
water-- produce concentrated urine
 Urine
Water- 95%
Nitrogenous waste:
• urea
• uric acid
• creatinine
Ions:
• sodium
• potassium
• sulfate
• phosphate
From the original 1800 g NaCl, only 10 g appears in the urine
 ureters

internal sphincters
urethra

external sphincters
The kidneys filter unwanted
substances from the blood and
produce urine to excrete them.
There are three main steps of
urine formation: glomerular
filtration, reabsorption, and
secretion. These processes
ensure that only waste and
excess water are removed from
the body.
Each kidney contains over 1 million tiny structures
called nephrons. Each nephron has a glomerulus,
the site of blood filtration. The glomerulus is a
network of capillaries surrounded by a cuplike
structure, the glomerular capsule (or Bowman’s
capsule). As blood flows through the glomerulus,
blood pressure pushes water and solutes from the
capillaries into the capsule through a filtration
membrane. This glomerular filtration begins the
urine formation process.
Inside the glomerulus, blood pressure pushes fluid
from capillaries into the glomerular capsule
through a specialized layer of cells. This layer,
the filtration membrane, allows water and small
solutes to pass but blocks blood cells and large
proteins. Those components remain in the
bloodstream. The filtrate (the fluid that has passed
through the membrane) flows from the glomerular
capsule further into the nephron.
 The glomerulus filters water and small solutes
out of the bloodstream. The resulting filtrate
contains waste, but also other substances the
body needs: essential ions, glucose, amino
acids, and smaller proteins. When the filtrate
exits the glomerulus, it flows into a duct in the
nephron called the renal tubule. As it moves,
the needed substances and some water are
reabsorbed through the tube wall into adjacent
capillaries. This reabsorption of vital nutrients
from the filtrate is the second step in urine
creation.
 The filtrate absorbed in the glomerulus flows
through the renal tubule, where nutrients and
water are reabsorbed into capillaries. At the
same time, waste ions and hydrogen ions pass
from the capillaries into the renal tubule. This
process is called secretion. The secreted ions
combine with the remaining filtrate and
become urine. The urine flows out of the
nephron tubule into a collecting duct. It passes
out of the kidney through the renal pelvis, into
the ureter, and down to the bladder.
 Urine is about 95% water and 5% waste
products. Nitrogenous wastes excreted in urine
include urea, creatinine, ammonia, and uric
acid. Ions such as sodium, potassium,
hydrogen, and calcium are also excreted.
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)—produced by
the posterior pituitary gland —increases the
amount of water reabsorbed in the distal
convoluted tubule and collecting duct.
Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus signal the
posterior pituitary gland to increase ADH
secretion when plasma osmolarity becomes too
high.
 Renal Mechanism for Dilute urine
 Formation of dilute urine depends on decreased
secretion of ADH from pituitary. Kidneys continue
to absorb solute; while fail to absorb the water.
 Renal Mechanism for Conc. Of urine
 . Renal Mechanism for Conc. Urine ADH increases
the permeability of the distal tubules &
collecting ducts to water.Highly osmolar renal
medullary interstitium provides osmotic gradient
for water reabsorption in presence of ADH.
 Healthy kidneys produce a hormone called
aldosterone to help the body regulate blood
pressure. Kidney damage and uncontrolled
high blood pressure each contribute to a
negative spiral. As more arteries become
blocked and stop functioning, the kidneys
eventually fail.
Two organ systems, the kidneys and lungs,
maintain acid-base homeostasis, which is the
maintenance of pH around a relatively stable
value. The lungs contribute to acid-base
homeostasis by regulating carbon dioxide (CO2)
concentration. The kidneys have two very
important roles in maintaining the acid-base
balance: to reabsorb and regenerate bicarbonate
from urine, and to excrete hydrogen ions and
fixed acids (anions of acids) into urine.
 Normally, urine is acidic in nature with a pH of
4.5-6. The metabolic activities in the body
produce lot of acids (with lot of hydrogen ions)
which threaten to push the body towards
acidosis. However, kidneys prevent this by
excreting hydrogen ions (H+) and conserving
bicarbonate ions (HCO3)
 Diuresis (Micturition)

When bladder fills with 200 ml of

urine, stretch receptors transmit
impulses to the CNS and produce a
reflex contraction of the bladder
(PNS)

When is incontinence normal?

 Urinalysis
Why do doctors ask for
a urine sample?
characteristics:
• smell- ammonia-like
• pH- 4.5-8, ave 6.0
• specific gravity– more than 1.0;
~1.001-1.030
• color- affected by what we eat: salty
foods, vitamins
 Odor
odor- normal is ammonia-like
diabetes mellitus- smells fruity
or acetone like due to elevated
ketone levels
diabetes insupidus- yucky
asparagus---
 Color
Color- pigment is urochrome
Yellow color due to metabolic
breakdown of hemoglobin (by bile or
bile pigments)

Beets or rhubarb- might give a urine

pink or smoky color
Vitamins- vitamin C- bright yellow
Infection- cloudy
 Specific Gravity
Water: s.g. =
1g/liter;
Urine: s.g. ~
1.001 to 1.030
When urine has high
s.g.; form kidney stones

Diabetes insipidus- urine has

low s.g.; drinks excessive water;
injury or tumor in pituitary
pH- range 4.5-8 ave 6.0

vegetarian diet- urine is alkaline

protein rich and wheat diet-

urine is acidic
Normal Constitutes of Urine
Abnormal Constitutes of Urine

Glucose
Indicative of:
• Excessive carbohydrate intake
• Stress
• Diabetes mellitus
Moment of Zen