BIOL 373 UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
●● Why are the roles of the kidneys?
Answer: 1) regulation of ECF volume and blood pressure
2) regulates plasma osmolarity (Na+,CL-)
3) regulates ion balances
4) excretion of waste
5) regulates plasma pH
6) endocrine
●● Describe the urinary tract pathway
Answer: 1. fluid moves from plasma into nephrons (hollow tubules) in
the kidneys
2. nephrons modify the composition of the fluid as it passes through
3. modified fluid leaves the kidneys and enters hollow tube called ureter
4. ureters lead from kidney to bladder
5. bladder fills and expands until it conracts and expels urine through a
single tube called urethra
●● What are the vascular elements of a nephron?
,Answer: renal artery
smaller arteries
1) afferent arteriole
2) glomerulus (capillaries)
3) efferent arteriole
4) peritubular capillaries
5) vasa recta (juxtamedullary only)
●● What is contained in the cortex of the nephron? the medulla of the
nephron?
Answer: cortex:
-all Bowman's capsules
-PCTs
-DCTs
medulla:
-Loop of Henle
-collecting ducts
●● What are the tubular elements of the nephron in order?
Answer: renal corpuscle (Bowman's capsule + glomerulus)
proximal tubule
descending limb
,Loop of Henle
ascending limb
distal tubule
collecting duct
to bladder
●● Describe renal circulation in general
Answer: artery -> capillary -> vein -> capillary -> vein -> heart
nephrons have 2 capillary beds (glomerulus capillaries and pertitubular
capillaries)
●● What is the difference between renal circulation in juxtaglomedullary
nephrons and corticol nephrons?
Answer: jutaglomerular nephrons go through vasa recta
●● Describe the detailed pathway of renal circulation
Answer: abdominal aorta -> renal artery -> branches of smaller arteries -
> 1. afferent arterioles -> 2. glomerulus (capillaries) -> 3. efferent
arteriole -> 4. peritubular capillaries/ 5. vasa recta -> venules -> veins ->
renal vein -> vena cava
●● Overview of kidney function
Answer: -kidneys process over 180 L plasma/day but only 1.5 L secreted
- 99% of fluid is reabsorbed
, 1) filtration
2) reabsorption
3) secretion
●● What is filtration?
Answer: movement of water/solute from blood into tubules
-occurs in renal corpuscles
-once in tubules, filtrate will be excreted if not reabsorbed
●● What is reabsorption?
Answer: movement of water/solute from filtrate back into blood
(peritubular capillaries)
●● What is secretion?
Answer: removing molecules from blood, adding them to filtrate
-much more selective than filtration
●● Where does filtration occur?
Answer: only at the glomerulus
-blood to lumen
●● What does urinary excretion depend on?
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
●● Why are the roles of the kidneys?
Answer: 1) regulation of ECF volume and blood pressure
2) regulates plasma osmolarity (Na+,CL-)
3) regulates ion balances
4) excretion of waste
5) regulates plasma pH
6) endocrine
●● Describe the urinary tract pathway
Answer: 1. fluid moves from plasma into nephrons (hollow tubules) in
the kidneys
2. nephrons modify the composition of the fluid as it passes through
3. modified fluid leaves the kidneys and enters hollow tube called ureter
4. ureters lead from kidney to bladder
5. bladder fills and expands until it conracts and expels urine through a
single tube called urethra
●● What are the vascular elements of a nephron?
,Answer: renal artery
smaller arteries
1) afferent arteriole
2) glomerulus (capillaries)
3) efferent arteriole
4) peritubular capillaries
5) vasa recta (juxtamedullary only)
●● What is contained in the cortex of the nephron? the medulla of the
nephron?
Answer: cortex:
-all Bowman's capsules
-PCTs
-DCTs
medulla:
-Loop of Henle
-collecting ducts
●● What are the tubular elements of the nephron in order?
Answer: renal corpuscle (Bowman's capsule + glomerulus)
proximal tubule
descending limb
,Loop of Henle
ascending limb
distal tubule
collecting duct
to bladder
●● Describe renal circulation in general
Answer: artery -> capillary -> vein -> capillary -> vein -> heart
nephrons have 2 capillary beds (glomerulus capillaries and pertitubular
capillaries)
●● What is the difference between renal circulation in juxtaglomedullary
nephrons and corticol nephrons?
Answer: jutaglomerular nephrons go through vasa recta
●● Describe the detailed pathway of renal circulation
Answer: abdominal aorta -> renal artery -> branches of smaller arteries -
> 1. afferent arterioles -> 2. glomerulus (capillaries) -> 3. efferent
arteriole -> 4. peritubular capillaries/ 5. vasa recta -> venules -> veins ->
renal vein -> vena cava
●● Overview of kidney function
Answer: -kidneys process over 180 L plasma/day but only 1.5 L secreted
- 99% of fluid is reabsorbed
, 1) filtration
2) reabsorption
3) secretion
●● What is filtration?
Answer: movement of water/solute from blood into tubules
-occurs in renal corpuscles
-once in tubules, filtrate will be excreted if not reabsorbed
●● What is reabsorption?
Answer: movement of water/solute from filtrate back into blood
(peritubular capillaries)
●● What is secretion?
Answer: removing molecules from blood, adding them to filtrate
-much more selective than filtration
●● Where does filtration occur?
Answer: only at the glomerulus
-blood to lumen
●● What does urinary excretion depend on?
