Chapter 13

The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Discuss some of the important functions that the nephron performs and how the nephron performs those functions.

Urine formation involves all of the following process except which of the following and why? a. Reabsorption of water b. Reabsorption of particular solutes c. Hydrostatic pressure within the glomerular capillaries d. Secretion of excess nutrients e. Filtration of blood

By increasing the diameter of the afferent arteriole and decreasing the diameter of the efferent arteriole, what effect can one predict to occur for the glomerular filtration rate?

Discuss the juxtaglomerular complex functions and locations.

Some compounds are filtered by the kidneys but not reabsorbed (such as mannitol). Would a sudden increase in the mannitol concentration have an effect on the glomerular filtration rate and the amount of urine produced? If it has an effect, why?

Cellular matter enters the nephron at a rate of approximately 600 cells \(/ \mathrm{mL}\) of urine produced (combined red blood cells and white blood cells). What are some of the reasons that cellular matter can enter the nephron? If there was an increase in the red blood cell concentration in the urine, what would this suggest? What about an increase in the white blood cell urine concentration?

Renal arteriosclerosis is a risk factor for hypertension. Why and what are some of the treatments that you would recommend to decrease the blood pressure?

Discuss the reabsorptive coefficient for different segments of the nephron tubule system. Would there be differences in the reabsorptive coefficient along these different segments? If so, where would the differences manifest (e.g., in the net difference in the flow rates or in the net difference of the pressures acting across the segments of interest or both)?