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Renal physiology (Latin renes, "kidneys") is the study of the physiology of the kidney. This encompasses all functions of the kidney, including maintenance of acid-base balance; regulation of fluid balance; regulation of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes; clearance of toxins; absorption of glucose, amino acids, and other small molecules ...
The kidney maintains the electrolyte concentrations, osmolality, and acid-base balance of blood plasma within the narrow limits that are compatible with effective cellular function; and the kidney participates in blood pressure regulation and in the maintenance of steady whole-organism water volume [4]
Osmoregulation is the active regulation of the osmotic pressure of an organism's body fluids, detected by osmoreceptors, to maintain the homeostasis of the organism's water content; that is, it maintains the fluid balance and the concentration of electrolytes (salts in solution which in this case is represented by body fluid) to keep the body fluids from becoming too diluted or concentrated.
The polyol pathway is a two-step process that converts glucose to fructose. [1] In this pathway glucose is reduced to sorbitol, which is subsequently oxidized to fructose. It is also called the sorbitol-aldose reductase pathway. The pathway is implicated in diabetic complications, especially in microvascular damage to the retina, [2] kidney, [3 ...
Metanephros is the most complex form of kidney. [44] Each metanephric kidney is characterized by a large number of nephrons and a highly branched system of collecting tubules and ducts, [28] that open into the ureter. [48] Such branching in the metanephros is unique in relation to the pronephros and mesonephros. [44]
Glycosuria is the excretion of glucose into the urine. Ordinarily, urine contains no glucose because the kidneys are able to reabsorb all of the filtered glucose from the tubular fluid back into the bloodstream. Glycosuria is nearly always caused by an elevated blood sugar level, most commonly due to untreated diabetes.
The juxtaglomerular apparatus is part of the kidney nephron, next to the glomerulus. It is found between afferent arteriole and the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (distal straight tubule) of the same nephron. This location is critical to its function in regulating renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. [2] [3]
The kidneys can be unilobar (a single lobe represented by a single renal pyramid) or multilobar, [13] [14] unipapillary (a single or a common papilla), with several papillae or multipapillary, [14] [15] may be smooth-surfaced or lobulated. [1] [13] The multilobar kidneys can also be reniculate, which are found mainly in marine mammals. [16]