Renal Terms

Front 1

aldosterone

Back 1

a steroid hormone released from the adrenal cortex that regulates the reabsorption of Na and secretion of K

Front 2

angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)

Back 2

enzyme that converts angiotensinogen I to angiotensinogen II

Front 3

antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Back 3

hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary that regulates water reabsorption by the kidneys; AKA vasopressin

Front 4

atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)

Back 4

hormone secreted from the atrium that regulates plasma sodium levels

Front 5

Bowman's capsule

Back 5

in each nephrom, a cup-shaped structure that surround the glomerulus and conducts filtrate into the renal tubule at the inflow end of the renal tubules; site where filtrate enters the renal tubules

Front 6

calcitonin

Back 6

peptide hormone released from C cells of the thyroid gland that regulates plasma calcium levels

Front 7

calcitriol

Back 7

steroid hormone derived from vit. D that regulates plasma calcium levels

Front 8

clearance

Back 8

virtual measure of the volume of plasma from which a substance is completely remoned or "cleared" by the kidneys per unit time

Front 9

collecting ducts

Back 9

ducts that collect fluid from several different renal tubules and carry it to the renal pelvis for eventual elimination

Front 10

cortex

Back 10

outer portion of an organ such as cerebral cortex, adrenal cortex, and renal cortex

Front 11

detrusor muscle

Back 11

smooth muscle fibers of the bladder

Front 12

distal convoluted tubule

Back 12

portion of nephron furthest from renal corpuscle

Front 13

excretion

Back 13

elimination from the body through kidney's (urine) or GI tract (feces)

Front 14

external urethral sphincter

Back 14

ring of skeletal muscle that regulates the excretion of urine

Front 15

filtered load

Back 15

the quantity of a certain solute that is filtered at the glomerulus per unit time; equals the product of the GFR and the plasma concentration of the solute

Front 16

glomerulus filtration

Back 16

the bulk flow of protein-free plasma from the glomerular capillaries into Bowman's capsule

Front 17

glomerular filtration pressure

Back 17

sim of the Starling forces acting to move fluid across the capillary walls of the glomerulus

Front 18

GFR

Back 18

the volume of the plasma filtered per unit time from all renal glomeruli combined

Front 19

glomerulus

Back 19

in each nephron, a ball-like cluster of capillaries in the renal corpuscle; site of filtration

Front 20

granular cells

Back 20

specialized cells in the wall of the afferent and efferent arterioles that secrete renen; also called juztaglomerular cells

Front 21

Juxtaglomerular cells

Back 21

specialized cells in the wall of the afferent and efferent arterioles that secrete renin; also called granular cells

Front 22

internal urethral sphincter

Back 22

ring of smooth muscle that regulates the excretion of urine

Front 23

juxtaglomerular apparatus

Back 23

a collection of specialized cells in the distal tubules and the afferent and efferent arteriles near where the three sturctures come together in the kidney; regulates glomerular filtration and renin secretion

Front 24

loop of henle

Back 24

the portion of the renal tubule that forms a hairpin loop that dips in to the medulla, including the descending limb, the thin ascending limb, and the thick ascending limb

Front 25

macula densa

Back 25

specialized cluster of epithelial cells found in the distal convoluted tubule in the region adjacent to the afferent and efferent arterioles

Front 26

medulla

Back 26

internal compartment of certain organs such as adrenal medulla and renal medulla

Front 27

metabolic acidosis

Back 27

decrease in blood pH in response to changes other than carbon dioxide levels

Front 28

metabolic alkalosis

Back 28

increae in blood pH in response to changes other than carbon dioxdie levels

Front 29

micturition

Back 29

the elimination of urine from the body; AKA urination

Front 30

myogenic regulation

Back 30

means of autoregulating glomerular filtration rate by the inherent abilty of smooth muscle of the aferent arterioles to contract when stretched

Front 31

nephrons

Back 31

functional unitsof the kidneys that filter the blood and form urine; each consists of a renal corpuscle (a glomerulus and bowman's capsule) and renal tubule

Front 32

obligatory water loss

Back 32

minumum volume of water that must be excreted in urine to eliminate solutes

Front 33

osmoreceptor

Back 33

receptors that detect the osmoloarity of various body fluids

Front 34

parathyroid hormone (PTH)

Back 34

peptide hormone released from the parathyroid glands that regulates plasma calcium levels

Front 35

peritubular capillaries

Back 35

capillary bed that branches off the efferent arterioles of cortical nephrons and is located close to the renal tubules'' functions in exchange with renal tubules during reabsorption and secretion

Front 36

proximal tubules

Back 36

portion of the renal tubule nearest the renal corpuscle; included proximal convoluted tubule and proximal straight tubule

Front 37

reabsorption

Back 37

transport of a substance into blood

Front 38

renal arteries

Back 38

arteries that branch off the aorta and provide the kidneys with their blood supply

Front 39

renal corpuscle

Back 39

site of glomerular filtration; consists of glomerulus and bowman's capsule

Front 40

renal pelvis

Back 40

funnel-shaped passage forming the intial portion of the ureter

Front 41

renal threshold

Back 41

the plasma concentration of solute at which the transport maximum is exceeded and excess solute appears in the urine

Front 42

renal tubule

Back 42

a portion of a nephron, consisting of a long, coiled tube

Front 43

renal veins

Back 43

transport of blood from the kidneys back into general circulation

Front 44

renin

Back 44

enzyme released by the kidney; converts angiotensinogen to angiotensin I

Front 45

secretion

Back 45

movement of substance from the internal environment to the external environment by transport across an epithelium; moviment of a substance from inside a cell to outside the cell by movement across the plasm membrane

Front 46

transport maximum

Back 46

rate of transport by carrier proteins when carriers are 100% saturated

Front 47

tubuloglomerular feedback

Back 47

autoregulatory mechanism in which a change in glomerular filtration rate is regulated by paracrines secreted from the macula densa, located downstream from the glomerulus

Front 48

urinary system

Back 48

organ system that consists of 2 kidneys, 2 ureteres, urinary bladder, and the urethra

Front 49

urine

Back 49

a fluid produced by the kidneys and eliminated from the body

Front 50

vasa recta

Back 50

capillary bed that branches off the efferent arteriole of a juxtamedullary nephron and surround the loop of henle; functions in maintaining medullary osmotic gradient