Regulation of the concentration of solutes in the body
Kidneys help regulate the concentration of the major molecules and ions, such as glucose, sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, hydrogen phosphate
Functional unit of a kidney, composed of Renal Corpuscle (Bowman's capsule & glomerulus), Proximal Convoluted Tubule, Loop of Henle, Distal Convoluted Tubule
1. Filtration - the movement of water, ions, and small molecules through the filtration membrane into Bowman's capsule
2. Tubular reabsorption - the movement of substances from the filtrate across the wall of the nephron back into the blood of the peritubular capillaries
3. Tubular secretion - the transport of substances, usually waste products, from the intestinal fluid across the wall of the nephron into the filtrate
Urine - consist of substances (95% water, urea, uric acid, electrolytes) that are filtered and secreted from the peritubular capillaries into the nephron, minus those substances that are reabsorbed