Name: how nephrons reclaim water and salts
Uploaded: 2024-12-20T14:49:30.000Z
Duration: 1 min 24 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

9-12

Human Anatomy and Physiology

Absorption And Excretion

Urinary System

Renal Tubule and Collecting Duct

The nephron measures approximately 3 cm and consists of the proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, and distal convoluted tubule.
The proximal convoluted tubule, or PCT, is closer to the glomerulus.
Its walls comprise cuboidal epithelial cells. Its apical or luminal surface is covered with microvilli, increasing the surface area for fluid and solute reabsorption and substance secretion.
The nephron loop or loop of Henle has a descending and an ascending limb.
The initial part of the descending limb consists of cuboidal epithelial cells with microvilli. The remaining descending segment &#8212; the descending thin limb &#8212; has simple squamous epithelium.
The ascending segment, or the thick ascending limb, consists of cuboidal or low columnar epithelial cells.
The distal convoluted tubule, or DCT, largely consists of cuboidal cells, which are thinner and have fewer microvilli.
The distal part of the DCT and collecting duct comprises two types of cells.
The principal cells help regulate the body&#39;s water and sodium balance, and the intercalated cells help maintain the blood&#39;s pH.

renal tubule and collecting duct

The renal tubule is divided into three parts: the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), the Loop of Henle (LOH), and the distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT): 
The PCT is the initial segment of the renal tubule, extending from the Bowman&#39;s capsule that encloses the glomerulus. Its convoluted structure and microvilli-lined cells increase the surface area for reabsorption. The PCT reabsorbs glucose, amino acids, sodium, and water from the filtrate, ensuring essential substances are returned to the bloodstream.
Loop of Henle (LOH): 
The LOH extends from the PCT and consists of two limbs:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Descending Limb: Permeable to water but not solutes, leading to increased filtrate concentration.</li>
	<li>Ascending Limb: Impermeable to water but actively transports sodium and chloride out of the tubule, creating a countercurrent gradient for urine concentration. 
	These countercurrent mechanisms in the LOH are crucial for urine concentration and water conservation.</li>
</ol>
Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT): 
The DCT, the final segment of the renal tubule, is involved in selective reabsorption and secretion to adjust electrolyte balance. It is less convoluted than the PCT and has fewer microvilli, reflecting its specialized function in regulating sodium, potassium, and calcium levels.
The Collecting Duct:
The collecting duct connects nephrons to the renal pelvis and plays a vital role in regulating the final urine volume and composition. Filtrate from multiple nephrons converges in the collecting duct, where water and electrolyte levels are fine-tuned.
Two main cell types are found in the collecting duct:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Principal Cells: Regulate water and sodium balance via antidiuretic hormone (ADH) receptors. High ADH levels increase water reabsorption, producing concentrated urine.</li>
	<li>Intercalated Cells: Help maintain pH balance by excreting or reabsorbing hydrogen ions (H&#8314;) or bicarbonate (HCO&#8323;&#8315;) ions depending on the body&#39;s acid-base status.</li>
</ol>
Disorders of the Renal Tubule and Collecting Duct
Proximal Convoluted Tubule Disorders:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Fanconi Syndrome: A genetic or acquired disorder affecting the PCT&#39;s ability to reabsorb essential nutrients, leading to nutrient, electrolyte, and glucose loss in urine.</li>
</ol>
Loop of Henle Disorders:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Bartter Syndrome: A genetic condition affecting the ascending limb of the LOH, resulting in impaired salt reabsorption, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and dehydration.</li>
</ol>
Distal Convoluted Tubule Disorders:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Gitelman Syndrome: A genetic disorder affecting the DCT, causing impaired sodium and chloride reabsorption, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and metabolic alkalosis.</li>
	<li>Liddle Syndrome: A rare genetic disorder causing excessive sodium reabsorption in the DCT, leading to hypertension.</li>
</ol>
Collecting Duct Disorders:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus: A condition where the collecting duct becomes unresponsive to ADH, causing excessive water loss and dilute urine.</li>
</ol>
Each of these disorders presents unique challenges and requires specific clinical approaches for management and treatment.
Climatic Adaptations of the Renal Tubule and Collecting Duct
The renal tubule and collecting duct exhibit remarkable adaptations to maintain homeostasis under different climatic conditions:
<ol style="list-style-type: circle;">
	<li>Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT): In hot climates, the PCT helps reabsorb more water through countercurrent mechanisms, reducing water loss and preventing dehydration.</li>
	<li>Loop of Henle (LOH):&#160; The renal tubules are structurally consistent across climates, but their activity adjusts via hormonal responses to maintain water balance</li>
	<li>Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT): High environmental temperatures result in dehydration. Aldosterone acts on the DCT, enhancing sodium and water reabsorption to conserve fluids.</li>
	<li>Collecting Duct: During water scarcity, high ADH levels trigger principal cells in the collecting duct to reabsorb more water, resulting in concentrated urine and minimal water loss</li>
</ol>
The renal tubule and collecting duct are intricately structured to perform essential functions, from waste removal to fluid and electrolyte regulation. Their ability to adapt to environmental conditions highlights the kidneys&#39; critical role in maintaining homeostasis. However, structural and genetic disorders can impair these processes, emphasizing the need for early detection and targeted treatment to ensure optimal kidney function.

The nephron measures approximately 3 cm and consists of the proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, and distal convoluted tubule.
The proximal ...

Education

JoVE Core

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

The Urinary System

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

how nephrons reclaim water and salts

The renal tubule reclaims useful substances and helps the body manage water, salts, and pH. It has three main parts: the proximal convoluted tubule, the Loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. These segments work with the collecting duct to form urine and keep internal conditions stable.

The proximal convoluted tubule, or PCT, is the first segment and extends from Bowman’s capsule around the glomerulus. Its coiled shape and microvilli, which are tiny membrane folds, increase surface area for reabsorption. The PCT returns glucose, amino acids, sodium, and water from the filtrate to the blood.

The Loop of Henle, or LOH, continues from the PCT and has two limbs. The descending limb lets water leave but not solutes, so the filtrate becomes more concentrated. The ascending limb does not let water pass, but it actively moves sodium and chloride out of the tubule. This countercurrent process is important for concentrating urine and conserving water.

The distal convoluted tubule, or DCT, is the final part of the renal tubule. It is less coiled than the PCT and has fewer microvilli, which fits its role in selective reabsorption and secretion. The DCT helps regulate sodium, potassium, and calcium levels.

The collecting duct links many nephrons to the renal pelvis and fine-tunes the final urine volume and composition. Filtrate from multiple nephrons enters this duct, where water and electrolytes are adjusted. Principal cells respond to antidiuretic hormone, or ADH, and increase water reabsorption when ADH levels are high. That leads to more concentrated urine. Intercalated cells help control pH by excreting or reabsorbing hydrogen ions or bicarbonate ions, depending on the body’s acid-base state.

Problems in these tubule segments can disrupt kidney function. Fanconi syndrome affects the PCT and causes loss of nutrients, electrolytes, and glucose in urine. Bartter syndrome affects the ascending limb of the LOH and can cause poor salt reabsorption, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and dehydration. Gitelman syndrome affects the DCT and leads to impaired sodium and chloride reabsorption, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and metabolic alkalosis. Liddle syndrome also affects the DCT, but it causes too much sodium reabsorption and can lead to hypertension. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus affects the collecting duct when it does not respond to ADH, which causes excess water loss and dilute urine.

These kidney segments also adjust to climate. In hot conditions, the PCT helps reabsorb more water through countercurrent mechanisms to reduce water loss. The LOH keeps the same basic structure across climates, but its activity changes through hormone signals to help balance water. In high temperatures, aldosterone acts on the DCT and increases sodium and water reabsorption. During water scarcity, high ADH levels make principal cells in the collecting duct reabsorb more water, which produces concentrated urine and limits water loss. Together, the renal tubule and collecting duct support waste removal, fluid balance, and electrolyte control, while their disorders show why early detection and treatment matter.

How Nephrons Reclaim Water and Salts

introduction to urinary system

Urinary System: Organs and Key Functions

The urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra. Together, these organs remove wastes from the blood and help keep body conditions stable. The kidneys are bean-shaped and sit in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, between T12 and L3. They are partly protected by the rib cage and cushioned by perirenal fat. The kidneys make urine and also help control blood pressure, electrolyte levels, and hormone production. Each ureter...

external anatomy of the kidney

Kidney Structure, Position, and Coverings

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that help keep the body healthy. They filter waste from the blood, help regulate blood pressure, maintain electrolyte balance, and support red blood cell production. The kidneys sit in the retroperitoneal space, which means behind the abdominal lining, on either side of the vertebral column. The 11th and 12th ribs protect them from behind. The right kidney lies slightly lower than the left because the liver is above it. In adults, the kidneys are...

internal anatomy of the kidney

Kidney Cortex, Medulla, and Pelvis

The kidney is a vital organ that helps maintain homeostasis and overall health. It sits against the posterior abdominal wall, behind the abdominal cavity on either side of the spine. The kidneys are retroperitoneal organs. They are found roughly between the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the third lumbar vertebra, and each one is usually 10-12 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, 3-4 cm thick, and about 150 grams. The outer region of the kidney is the renal cortex. It is a light-colored layer that surrounds...

blood and nerve supply to the kidney

Kidney Blood Vessels and Nerve Control

The kidneys rely on a strong network of blood vessels and nerves to filter blood and keep body fluids balanced. They remove waste, regulate electrolytes, and depend on steady circulation to do this work. Their nerve supply also helps control filtration, urine flow, and blood pressure. Blood reaches each kidney through the renal arteries, which branch off the abdominal aorta. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the notch on the medial side of each kidney. Inside the kidney, each renal...

nephrons

Kidney Nephron Structure and Function

Kidneys contain millions of nephrons, the working units that filter blood and form urine. Each nephron has two main parts. The renal corpuscle filters blood plasma, and the renal tubule processes the glomerular filtrate. The renal corpuscle is made of the glomerulus and Bowman&amp;#39;s capsule. The glomerulus is a capillary network, and Bowman&amp;#39;s capsule is a double-walled epithelial structure around it. Blood plasma is filtered in Bowman&amp;#39;s capsule, and the filtered fluid then...

renal corpuscle

Kidney Filtration in the Renal Corpuscle

The renal corpuscle begins kidney filtration in the nephron. It includes the glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule, two microscopic structures that work together to help make urine. The glomerulus filters blood, and Bowman’s capsule collects the fluid that passes through. The glomerulus is a tiny tuft of capillaries at the start of the nephron. It sits inside Bowman’s capsule and gets blood from an afferent arteriole. Blood leaves through an efferent arteriole. This setup is unusual because the...

The renal tubule reclaims useful substances and helps the body manage water, salts, and pH. It has three main parts: the proximal convoluted tubule, the Loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. These segments work with the collecting duct to form urine and keep internal conditions stable. The proximal convoluted tubule, or PCT, is the first segment and extends from Bowman’s capsule around the glomerulus. Its coiled shape and microvilli, which are tiny membrane folds, increase surface...

physiology of urine formation

How the Kidneys Make Urine

The kidneys make urine through a careful process that helps keep body fluids stable. This process supports homeostasis, which means the body keeps its internal conditions balanced. The kidneys remove wastes and extra substances from the blood and turn them into urine. The first stage is glomerular filtration. Each kidney has about 1 million nephrons, which are the functional units that filter blood. At the center of each nephron is the glomerulus, a network of tiny capillaries where filtration...

glomerular filtration

Selective Kidney Filtration Membrane

The selective kidney filtration membrane filters blood in the renal system. It is made of glomerular capillaries and podocytes. Together, these structures form a barrier that lets water and small solutes pass while keeping most plasma proteins and blood cells in the bloodstream. The filtration process depends on three layers. The first is the glomerular endothelial cells, which line the capillaries. These cells have large pores called fenestrations. The fenestrations let blood plasma solutes...

glomerular filtration: net filtration pressure

glomerular-filtration-net-filtration-pressure

Kidney Filtration Forces in the Glomerulus

Kidney filtration in the glomerulus depends on the balance of three pressures. These forces control how much blood plasma moves from the glomerulus into the capsular space. The process is driven by glomerular blood hydrostatic pressure, or GBHP, and opposed by capsular hydrostatic pressure, or CHP, and blood colloid osmotic pressure, or BCOP. GBHP is the pressure of blood inside the glomerular capillaries. It averages about 55 mmHg and pushes water and dissolved solutes through the filtration...

glomerular filtration rate and its regulation

glomerular-filtration-rate-and-its-regulation

How Kidneys Keep GFR Stable

Glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, is a key measure of kidney function. It shows how much filtrate the kidneys form each minute. Average GFR is about 125 mL/min in males and 105 mL/min in females. Keeping GFR steady helps the kidneys control body fluid balance and maintain extracellular stability. The body uses intrinsic controls first. These include the myogenic mechanism and tubuloglomerular feedback. The myogenic mechanism responds to changes in systemic blood pressure. When blood...

tubular reabsorption and secretion

Kidney Tubule Transport in the Nephron

Kidney tubule transport in the nephron changes the fluid that leaves the glomerulus. Once this fluid enters the proximal convoluted tubule, it is called filtrate. Its composition shifts as the tubule reabsorbs useful substances and secretes unwanted ones. Tubular reabsorption is a selective process that begins in the proximal tubules. Substances can move by the transcellular route, which passes through the tubule cell and into the peritubular capillaries, or by the paracellular route, which...

reabsorption and secretion in the pct

PCT Transport of Glucose, Water, and Ions

The proximal convoluted tubule, or PCT, is a major site where filtered water, ions, glucose, and amino acids are moved back into the body. It works in the kidney’s filtration system after the glomeruli produce the filtered fluid. Most of the filtered water and many solutes are reabsorbed here. Sodium ion transport drives much of this reabsorption. The PCT uses symport, which moves substances in the same direction, and antiport, which moves substances in opposite directions. One key example is...

reabsorption and secretion in the loop of henle

reabsorption-and-secretion-in-the-loop-of-henle

Ion Movement in the Loop of Henle

The loop of Henle controls ion movement in the nephron. In the thick ascending limb, cells use Na+–K+–2Cl− symporters on the apical membrane to take up one sodium ion, one potassium ion, and two chloride ions from the tubular fluid. After entry into the cell, sodium ions are pumped into the interstitial fluid at the base and sides of the cell. They then diffuse into the vasa recta, the tiny blood vessels that help carry substances away. Chloride ions leave through leakage channels in the...

reabsorption and secretion in the dct and collecting duct

reabsorption-and-secretion-in-the-dct-and-collecting-duct

How ADH Changes Kidney Water Reabsorption

The early distal convoluted tubule, or DCT, reabsorbs water and salts as filtrate moves through the kidney. It handles about 10 to 15% of filtered water and about 5 to 10% of filtered sodium and chloride. This part of the tubule uses Na+-Cl- symporters on the apical membrane, sodium-potassium pumps, and chloride leakage channels on the basolateral membrane. The early DCT is also a place where parathyroid hormone, or PTH, can increase calcium reabsorption when the body needs it. Farther along,...

urine: physical and chemical properties

Urine Color, Smell, and pH

Urine is mostly water, but its color, smell, pH, and specific gravity can reveal useful health clues. It is about 95% water and 5% solutes. The main solute is urea, which forms when amino acids are broken down. Other important waste products include uric acid, from nucleic acid metabolism, and creatinine, from creatine phosphate breakdown in skeletal muscle tissue. Urine also contains many dissolved ions and small molecules. These include sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphate, sulfate,...

formation of dilute urine

How Kidneys Excrete Excess Water

The kidneys excrete excess water by making dilute urine, especially during high fluid intake. This process depends mainly on juxtamedullary nephrons, which help the body keep fluid balance by adjusting how much water and ions stay in the filtrate. As filtrate moves through the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), its osmolarity stays isosmotic with the renal cortex. Osmolarity means the concentration of dissolved particles in a fluid. In the PCT, water and solutes are reabsorbed together, so the...

formation of concentrated urine

Kidney Loop Mechanisms for Urine Concentration

Kidney loop mechanisms help the body conserve water by making urine more concentrated. A steep solute gradient forms in the kidney medulla, the inner region of the kidney. This medullary osmotic gradient runs from the renal cortex down through the medulla. Juxtamedullary nephrons build and maintain this gradient. Their loops extend deep into the medulla, where countercurrent mechanisms work. Countercurrent multiplication happens when the descending and ascending limbs of the nephron loop...

renal clearance

Measuring Kidney Function with Clearance

Kidney function can be measured by looking at glomerular filtration rate, or GFR. GFR shows how efficiently the glomeruli filter blood. Renal clearance is one common way to estimate this rate using substances such as inulin or creatinine. Renal clearance means the volume of plasma that is cleared of a specific substance in a set time. To measure it, urine is collected during each bladder voiding over a 24-hour period. A single blood sample is taken at the end of that interval. The clearance...

ureters

Urine Flow Through the Ureters

The ureters are retroperitoneal tubes that carry urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder. They lie on either side of the vertebral column. These tubes have thick walls and are about 25 to 30 cm long. At the renal pelvis, the ureter is about 10 mm wide. It then narrows to about 1 mm as it enters the back wall of the bladder at an angle. The ureteric orifices are slit-like, and this shape helps prevent urine from flowing backward toward the kidneys when the bladder contracts. Each ureter...

urinary bladder

Bladder Structure and Urine Storage

The urinary bladder is a hollow, muscular sac that stores urine before it leaves the body. It can hold about 600 mL of urine before micturition, or urination. The bladder sits behind the pubic symphysis in the pelvic floor and is retroperitoneal, meaning it lies behind the lining of the abdominal cavity. Its position changes slightly by sex. In males, the bladder lies in front of the rectum. In females, it is located anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bottom of the bladder has a...

the micturition reflex

Bladder Filling and Urine Release

Urination depends on the bladder, its detrusor muscle, and two sphincters working together. The detrusor muscle is the smooth muscle in the bladder wall. The two sphincters help keep urine in the bladder until it is time to empty it. As urine builds up, the bladder wall stretches. That stretch activates the urine storage reflex. This reflex is controlled by the sacral spinal segments and the pontine storage center. During storage, sympathetic signals make the detrusor muscle relax and the...

urethra

Urine Flow Through the Urethra

The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. It runs from the bladder to the external opening, where urine leaves the urinary system. Its main job is to release urine, but its structure and role are not the same in males and females. In females, the urethra is short. It measures about 3–4 cm and opens in front of the vaginal opening. In males, the urethra is longer and passes through the penis. It has two jobs in males. It carries urine and also helps eject semen. The male...

dialysis

Dialysis for Kidney Failure Support

Dialysis helps support people with renal failure when the kidneys can no longer filter waste from the blood well. Renal failure can be acute renal failure (ARF), which begins suddenly, or chronic renal failure (CRF), which develops slowly over time. Acute kidney injury may come from pre-renal causes such as hypovolemia or shock, intrinsic renal causes such as acute tubular necrosis, or post-renal causes such as urinary obstruction. Chronic renal failure is often linked to diabetes mellitus and...

disorders of the urinary system

Common Urinary Tract Problems and Their Effects

The urinary system removes waste and extra fluid from the body. Several urinary tract problems can disrupt this process. These problems may result from infections, stress, age, congenital abnormalities, or lifestyle factors. Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are among the most common disorders. Bacteria enter the urethra and may spread to the bladder, causing cystitis. If the infection moves up to the renal pelvis, it becomes pyelonephritis. UTIs are usually treated with antibiotics, but...

key terms and concepts

Learn how the PCT, Loop of Henle, DCT, and collecting duct reabsorb water, salts, and nutrients, and how their disorders affect urine and balance.

How Nephrons Reclaim Water and Salts | JoVE K12

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Within a pulmonary lobule, the terminal bronchioles branch into microscopic respiratory bronchioles, which conduct air to the respiratory zone of the ...

Respiratory System

Content elaboration: The respiratory system is comprised of the airways, lungs and diaphragm. The airways include the nasal and oral cavities, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli. The respiratory system transports and exchanges gases including oxygen and carbon dioxide. Processes involved in the respiratory system include respiration mechanics and gas exchange. Respiration mechanics is the process by which humans breathe and includes the movement of the diaphragm and pressure-volume relationships. Gas exchange refers to the diffusion of gas across the alveolar epithelium in the respiratory system and capillary endothelium of the cardiovascular system. Lung volumes and capacities can be measured using spirometry. Homeostatic imbalances are explored. These include, but are not limited to, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and the effects of smoking and pollution. Investigations are used to understand and explain the respiratory system in a variety of inquiry and design scenarios that can incorporate evolutionary concepts, scientific reasoning, comparative analysis, communication skills and real-world applications.

Respiratory System

How Nephrons Reclaim Water and Salts

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