The kidneys filter a vast volume of blood. They are the body's primary excretory organs, as they expel nitrogenous wastes, medicines, and poisons. While the skin, liver, intestines, and lungs all remove wastes, they cannot compensate for the failure of the kidneys. Additionally, the kidneys are capable of reabsorbing necessary substances and returning them to the blood.

Identify the Anatomical Body Planes and Directional Terms

Identify the Anatomical Body Planes and Directional Terms

Identify the Anatomical Body Planes and Directional Terms

is a condition caused by high concentrations of uric acid in the plasma. this condition was once believed to be caused by excess food intake, but it may be inherited. the crystals of uric acid get deposited in joints of the hands and feet, causing inflammation and great pain; is treated with drugs that inhibit uric acid reabsorption. Uric acid forms from the metabolism of certain nitrogen bases in nucleic acids.

also known as renal calculi, are composed of the precipitates of uric acid, magnesium or calcium phosphate, or calcium oxalate. they can form in the renal pelvis or in the collecting ducts. When it passes through the ureter, it can be very painful with accompanying nausea. the pain radiates from the area of the kidney, abdomen, and pelvis. most will pass on their own.

an infection of the kidneys caused by bacteria infecting the filtration membrane within the renal capsule. This disease can be acute, as a result of a streptococcal sore throat or scarlet fever infection, or chronic, resulting in renal failure.

is the presence and an abundance of erythrocytes in the urine. This can occur as a result of kidney stones in the system or as a result of urinary tract bacterial infections. can also be caused by inflammation of the bladder, urethra, or prostate gland.

is a condition in which only a small amount of urine is being produced, less than 500 mL per day. this results in an inability to effectively excrete waste products from the blood. It can be caused by urinary tract obstructions, lesions in the kidney, or imbalances in body electrolytes and fluids.

is the production of an excessive amount of urine. this is a result of both diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. It can also occur due to the intake of an excessive amount of fluids and the use of diuretics (drugs that pro- mote the formation and excretion of urine).

is a condition in which there is an excessive number of leukocytes in the urine. It results from a bacterial infection of the urinary tract.

This is a condition in which there is an excessive amount of urine (specifically urea and nitrogenous waste) in the blood. a toxic condition produced by renal failure when the kidneys cannot remove the urea from the blood.

is a condition in which the kidneys are abnormally enlarged and contain numerous cysts. there are three forms of this disease.

______ transport one-quarter of the total cardiac output directly to the kidneys. About 1200 mL of blood passes through the kidneys every minute. This amounts to blood being filtered of wastes approximately 60 times a day.

Immediately after entering the hilum, the renal artery divides into several branches that enter the parenchyma of the kidney in between the renal pyramids. In the renal columns, these branches are called the

At the base of the pyramids, the interlobar arteries arch between the cortex and the medulla. Here they are called the

Branches of the arcuate arteries produce a series of interlobular arteries that enter the cortex and divide into _________.

Each afferent arteriole takes blood from the renal artery to Bowman’s glomerular capsule, where the arteriole divides into the tangled capillary network known as the ____________.

The glomerular capillaries then reunite to form a/an _______________ that carries blood away from the glomerular capsule.

Each efferent arteriole further divides to form a network of capillaries called the _____________, which surround the convoluted tubules of the nephron.

Eventually, the peritubular capillaries reunite to form an ___________.

The filtered blood then drains into the _______________ at the base of the pyramid.

From the arcuate veins, the blood travels through the ________________ that run between the pyramids in the renal columns.

The interlobar veins unite at the single right and left renal vein that leave the right and left kidney at the hilum.

The nerve supply to the kidney comes from the renal plexus of the autonomic nervous system.

Sympathetic neurons, using norepinephrine, innervate the blood vessels of the kidneys. This stimulation causes constriction of the arteries, resulting in a _____________________________________________. Thus, there is a decrease in urine formation.

Urine volume production increases in response to a decrease in sympathetic innervation to the renal arteries.

Trauma or increased physical activity causes an increase in sympathetic stimulation, resulting in low levels of urine production.

Urine is formed by three processes in the nephrons: