The Kidneys (T)

• What are the different ways that water can leave the human body?

  • Through the lungs when exhaling
  • Through the skin via sweating
  • Through the kidneys in urine
• Why is it important for the body to maintain a constant level of water in the blood?

  To ensure cells work efficiently and maintain proper function.
• What is osmosis?

  Osmosis is the diffusion of water from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution through a partially permeable membrane.
• How does the body respond if the blood becomes too dilute?

  Water moves into cells by osmosis.
• What happens if the blood becomes too concentrated?

  Water moves out of cells by osmosis.
• What is the role of the kidneys in maintaining water balance?

  • Control the amount of water lost in urine
  • Remove excess water, urea, and ions from the blood
  • Adjust levels of substances in the blood
• What waste product do the kidneys remove from the blood?

  Urea
• What is the function of the bladder?

  The bladder stores urine before it is excreted from the body.
• What is selectively reabsorbed in the kidneys?

  • Glucose
  • Some ions
  • Some water
• What happens to glucose in the kidneys?

  It is filtered out and then completely reabsorbed back into the blood.
• How do the kidneys adjust the concentration of ions in the blood?

  By filtering and selectively reabsorbing ions based on the body's requirements.
• What happens to the concentration of urea in the blood as it passes through the kidneys?

  The concentration of urea falls to virtually zero.
• What is deamination?

  • The process of breaking down excess amino acids
  • Produces ammonia as a byproduct
• What happens to ammonia produced from deamination?

  It is converted to urea by the liver for safe excretion.
• What is the main function of the kidneys in relation to waste products?

  • To filter out waste products like urea
  • To regulate water and ion levels in the blood