The kidneys are located at the T12 to L3 vertebrae and partly protected by the eleventh and twelfth ribs.
A kidney typically measures about 10 to 12 cm in …
During glomerular filtration, blood plasma is pushed through the pores of a filtration membrane.
The glomerular capillaries and podocytes together form …
The glomerular filtration rate or GFR is the volume of filtrate formed per minute by the glomeruli.
Any changes in the local blood pressure and flow can …
Tubular reabsorption occurs along the length of the renal tubules and collecting ducts. This process returns water and solutes from the filtrate to the …
The proximal convoluted tubules, or PCTs, reabsorb most filtered water, ions, glucose, and amino acids.
Sodium ion transport is a critical process in the …
The early part of the distal convoluted tube, or DCT, reabsorbs around 10 to 15% of the filtered water and 5% of the filtered sodium and chloride ions.
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Urine is mostly water, which makes up around 95% of its volume. The remaining 5% consists of different solutes.
Urea, a byproduct of amino acid breakdown, …
The kidney's juxtamedullary nephrons produce dilute urine when the fluid intake is high.
In the renal cortex, the osmolarity of the interstitial fluid …
There is a medullary osmotic gradient of solutes in the interstitial fluid from the renal cortex through the medulla.
This gradient is established and …
The glomerular filtration rate is an effective metric for assessing kidney function. One way of measuring GFR is by calculating renal clearance.
Renal …
Ureters are retroperitoneal tubes on either side of the vertebral column that transport urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder.
They have thick …
The urethra is a tube-like structure extending from the lower end of the urinary bladder to the external opening for releasing urine out of the body.
In …
Renal failure is classified as acute when the glomerular filtration rate or GFR suddenly drops below 15 mL/min or ceases entirely. In contrast, a gradual …
Urinary system disorders can arise from infections, stress, age, congenital abnormalities, and lifestyle.
Urinary tract infections are typically caused by …
Glomerular filtration depends on three main pressures: glomerular blood hydrostatic pressure or GBHP, capsular hydrostatic pressure or CHP, and blood …
Nephron endowment refers to the total number of nephrons an individual is born with, as nephrogenesis in humans is completed by 36 weeks of gestation and …
A range of conditions involving the kidneys and urinary bladder can cause organ-threatening complications that are preventable if diagnosed promptly with …