The kidneys (2.6)

• Where are the kidneys located?

  Back of the abdomen
• Why are the kidneys important?

  Regulate water content, removes urea from the body
• What is urea?

  Toxic waste product
• What does the renal artery do?

  Carries blood to the kidneys
• What does the renal vein do?

  Takes blood away from the kidneys
• What does the bladder do?

  Collects and stores urine
• What is the ureter?

  A tube which transports urine from the kidneys to the bladder
• What is the urethra?

  The tube which transports urine from the bladder to outside of the body
• What are the main features of the kidneys?

  Cortex, medulla, pelvis, renal artery, renal vein, ureter
• What does the nephron do?

  Regulates water levels and removes urea from the blood
• What are the main features of the nephron?

  Bowman's capsule, capillary knot, capillary network, collecting duct, tubule and the arteriole
• What is ultrafiltration?

  Where small molecules are filtered out of the blood under high pressure
• What is the tubule responsible for?

  Selective reabsorption of glucose, salts and water
• What is the collecting duct responsible for?

  Selective reabsorption of water and sends urine to the ureter
• What is excretion?

  The process of the removal of urea from the body
• What does Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) do?

  Controls water content in the body
• What gland in the brain releases ADH?

  Pituitary gland
• How can the concentration of blood be altered?

  Excess drinking, sweating and consumption of salty foods
• What does excess drinking do to the body?

  Increases water content
• What does excess sweating do to the body?

  Decreases water content
• What does consuming salty foods do to the body?

  Decreases water content
• What happens when your water content is too low?

  Hypothalamus detects water content, pituitary gland secretes ADH into blood, travels to collecting duct, more water is reabsoped into blood as water channels are opened which allows for osmosis, low volume of urine, dark in colour
• What causes kidney failure?

  Diabetes and high blood pressure
• What is acute kidney failure?

  Short lived condition, will recover
• What is chronic kidney failure?

  Long term condition
• What treatments are there for kidney failure?

  Dialysis and a kidney transplant
• What is dialysis?

  A machine which cleans your blood and maintains balance of salts and water in the body
• How long does dialysis take?

  Hours at a time
• How many times is dialysis required?

  Multiple times a week
• Why might you feel ill in between dialysis?

  Build up of urea in the body
• What does dialysis fluid contain?

  High glucose, low urea, variable salt concentration
• Why is dialysis fluid constantly replaced?

  The concentration of urea will increase
• Why should patients on dialysis monitor their salt intake?

  Dialysis fluid contains a high concentration of salt
• What are the advantages of being on dialysis?

  Keeps you alive while finding a donor, doesn't involve major surgery
• What are the disadvantages of being on dialysis?

  Follow a strict diet, takes hours at a time, machine is expensive, temporary solution
• What does a kidney transplant involve?

  Replacing the failed kidney with a new one. The old remains in place
• Why do some people's body reject their new kidney?

  Their immune system recognises the new kidney as 'foreign' because the donor's antigens are different, so destroys it
• How is rejection prevented?

  By taking immuno suppressants for life and finding a donor with similar tissue type
• What donors tend to be most suitable?

  Family members
• What are the advantages of having a kidney transplant?

  No more diet restrictions, dialysis sessions, can lead a normal life