Renal System

• Renal system

  Also known as the urinary or excretory system, helps with elimination of waste from the body
• Renal system

  • Helps to regulate blood volume and blood pressure
  • Controls the amount of electrolytes and metabolites
  • Helps with blood pH regulation
• Components of the renal system

  • kidney
  • Nephron
  • Bowman's capsule
  • glomerulus
  • proximal convoluted tubule
  • loop of Henle
  • distal convoluted tubule
  • collecting duct
  • ureter
  • bladder
  • urethra
• Functions of the renal system

  • Removal of natural waste and excess water from the body
  • Help to produce red blood cells with the production of the hormone - erythropoietin
  • Helps with balancing important minerals in the body
  • Helps to maintain blood pressure
  • Helps to keep bones healthy via reabsorption of calcium
• Water potential (ψ)

  A measure of free energy of water molecules and the tendency for water to move from one area to another
• Pure water has a water potential of zero (0) and a solution with solutes dissolved in water has a negative water potential
• Osmoregulation

  Water potential of blood is controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland uses hormones to coordinate kidney action in removal of excess amount of water or solutes from the body in addition to excretion of body wastes e.g toxic substances such as drug metabolites and urea
• In living organisms, water potential may be due to several factors but principally osmosis. It can also result from mechanical pressure that is liquids being pumped (e.g dialysis)