Explain the kidney function in human biology, Biology

Assignment Help:

Explain the Kidney Function in human biology?

Blood first enters the capillaries in Bowman's capsule where it is filtered. The pores in the capillary walls allow water and small molecules to pass through, but are too small to allow red blood cells and large protein molecules to pass. The process by which material is filtered into Bowman's capsule is not very selective, and some of these substances that are of value to the body need to be reclaimed. Material filtered through the capillary walls into Bowman's capsule flows along the renal tubules. The process by which material is returned to the blood through the walls of the tubules is called tubular reabsorption.

Sodium, potassium, calcium, other minerals, and glucose are returned by active transport. These substances then enter the capillaries by diffusion. Water is returned by osmosis mostly in the proximal convoluted tubule, following the movement of glucose. There is additional reabsorption of salts and nutrients from the distal convoluted tubule, but this section of tubule also removes wastes and other substances not originally filtered out by Bowman's capsule through a process called tubular secretion. The pH of the blood is adjusted by the secretion of hydrogen ions into the filtrate. Potassium ions, ammonia, and certain drugs are eliminated by secretion from the distal convoluted tubules.

The loops of Henle function to concentrate the filtrate by establishing an osmotic gradient in the extracellular fluid around the loops that will later pull water from the collecting ducts. The ascending limb of the loop pumps NaCl out by active transport, but the ions cannot diffuse back in because this portion of the loop is impermeable to water. Salts can diffuse into the descending limb, but these are pumped out again when they reach the ascending loop, increasing the extracellular ionic concentration. When the filtrate reaches the collecting ducts, its osmotic concentration is much lower than the extracellular fluid of the medulla, so it loses water by osmosis and becomes more concentrated. As much as 99% of the water that goes through the tubules and collecting ducts is returned to the blood.

 


Related Discussions:- Explain the kidney function in human biology

Contagious ecthyma, Contagious ecthyma The contagious ecthyma virus is imm...

Contagious ecthyma The contagious ecthyma virus is immunologically distinct from vaccinia, but similar  to the causative agent of pseudo-cow-pox. It belongs to the genus Parapoxvi

Explain an overview of water soluble vitamins, Explain An Overview of Wate...

Explain An Overview of Water Soluble Vitamins? Vitamins, we already know, are classified by the materials in which they will dissolve. Fat-soluble vitamins -vitamin A, D, E a

Should human gene therapy be continued, Debate over ethics of using gene th...

Debate over ethics of using gene therapy for treating human beings started since the discovery of recombinant DNA technology. The mere fact that it involves the alteration of DNA w

Respiratory gases -respiration, Respiratory Gases -Respiration Physio...

Respiratory Gases -Respiration Physiologically the most important gases are oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Molecular oxygen comprises 21% of the atmosphere; carbon diox

What does acute disease mean, What does acute disease mean? An sharp di...

What does acute disease mean? An sharp disease is which does not last for a longer duration n has no weakness in the body

How the average number of offspring raised to adulthood, Researchers (Helle...

Researchers (Helle et al., 2004) analyzed rates of twin births in the Sami population of Northern Scandinavia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They found that (1) a

Malarial parasites be transmitted from an infected person, By what means ca...

By what means can malarial parasites be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person?   The malaria parasite is transferred when a healthy person is bitten by a m

Senescence - effects of plant growth regulators, Senescence - Effects of Pl...

Senescence - Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on Development All five major growth regulator groups: auxins, gibberellins cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene can influenc

Transmissible gastroenteritis of swine, Transmissible gastroenteritis of sw...

Transmissible gastroenteritis of swine The disease, first reported from the USA in 1964, is caused by antigenic group 1 mamalian coronavirus, a member of genus Coronavirus of

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd