B.14 Kidneys 1

• What is the main role of the kidneys?

  To filter blood and remove waste
• What is the main waste product filtered by the kidneys?

  Urea
• How is urea produced in the body?

  Through deamination of excess amino acids
• Why is it important to regulate ion levels in the body?

  To prevent cell damage and maintain function
• What ions do we commonly get from our diet?

  Sodium and potassium ions
• How do we lose ions from our body?

  Primarily through sweating
• What is the main way the body regulates water levels?

  Through the kidneys in urine production
• What happens to cells if there is too much water in the body?

  They swell and may burst
• What is the process called where the kidneys filter blood?

  Filtration
• What structures in the kidneys are responsible for filtering blood?

  Nephrons
• What is selective reabsorption in the kidneys?

  Reabsorbing only useful substances from filtrate
• How do kidneys handle glucose during filtration?

  They reabsorb all the glucose
• What analogy is used to describe selective reabsorption?

  Cleaning out a house and keeping useful items
• What structure in the brain detects water concentration in the bloodstream?

  The hypothalamus
• What hormone is released by the pituitary gland to regulate water levels?

  ADH (antidiuretic hormone)
• What effect does ADH have on the kidneys?

  It increases water reabsorption
• What happens when water levels in the bloodstream are too high?

  Less ADH is released, producing more urine
• What is a negative feedback loop in the context of water regulation?

  A system that maintains balance by adjusting levels
• What is the overall goal of the body's water regulation system?

  To keep water levels balanced