Excretion

• Kidneys filter blood to remove waste products such as urea, creatinine, and excess water from the body.
• Each kidney is about the size of your fist and weighs approximately 150 grams (g).
• The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, just below the ribcage.
• Nephron consists of glomerulus (ball of capillaries) and renal tubule.
• The kidney is made up of millions of nephrons that are responsible for filtration.
• Glomerular Filtrate - formed by selective permeability of glomerular membrane
• They are protected by the bony structure of the backbone and covered with fatty tissue called perirenal fat.
• Renal artery carries oxygenated blood away from the heart towards the kidneys.
• Glomerular Filtrate - Blood plasma filtered by the glomeruli into Bowman's capsules.
• Filtrate: Fluid that passes through the walls of the glomerulus into Bowman's capsule.
• Glomerular filtration rate (GFR): The amount of fluid filtered by the nephrons per minute.
• Glomerulus: A cluster of capillaries that filters blood entering the nephron.
• Nephron - The functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtration, secretion, and reabsorption processes.
• Nephron: The functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtration, secretion, and reabsorption of substances.
• The renal artery supplies oxygenated blood to the kidneys, while the renal veins carry deoxygenated blood away from them.
• Blood enters the kidneys through renal arteries and leaves via renal veins.
• Filtration occurs at the glomeruli, which act like tiny sieves to separate useful substances from wastes.
• Filtration occurs at the glomerulus, where blood pressure forces fluid out of the blood vessels and into the nephron.
• Secretion involves adding more waste products to the urine as it passes along the tubules.
• Renal arteries supply oxygenated blood to the kidneys, while renal veins remove deoxygenated blood.
• Proximal convoluted tubule: Reabsorbs most water, electrolytes, and nutrients back into the bloodstream.
• Distal convoluted tubule - Regulates water balance and excretes excess salt and waste products.
• Loop of Henle: A U-shaped structure within the nephron involved in the regulation of water balance.
• Loop of Henle: U-shaped portion of the nephron involved in water balance regulation.
• Renal corpuscle: Consists of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule.
• Loop of Henle - Responsible for creating an osmotic gradient between the medulla and cortex.
• Proximal convoluted tubule: The first part of the nephron where most water and solute are reabsorbed back into the body.
• Proximal Convoluted Tubule: First part of the tubule, where most reabsorption takes place.
• Secretion involves adding waste products such as urea and creatinine to the urine.
• Each kidney has about one million nephrons, which are the basic units of the kidney.
• Distal convoluted tubule: The final portion of the nephron where some water and electrolytes can be reabsorbed or excreted depending on the body's needs.
• Loop of Henle: Responsible for creating an osmotic gradient between the medulla and cortex.
• The loop of Henle is responsible for creating an osmotic gradient between the medulla and cortex by actively transporting sodium chloride out of the ascending limb and into the descending limb.
• Collecting duct: The final segment of the nephron that collects urine and transports it to the bladder.
• Distal convoluted tubule: Second part of the tubule that is responsible for regulating salt and water levels in the body.
• Kidney: Organ that filters blood to remove waste products and regulates fluid and electrolyte balance.
• Distal convoluted tubule: The second part of the nephron that is responsible for regulating the amount of sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium (K+) excreted from the body.
• Urine formation: Process whereby urine is formed from the filtrate as it moves through the renal tubules.
• Nephron: Basic functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.
• Urine formation: Filtered substances are either reabsorbed or secreted from the filtrate as it moves along the nephron.