STOCKTON UNIVERSITY STOCKTON UNIVERSITY BIOL 312 N202 EXAM 3 – RN NURSING STUDY GUIDE 2026

N202 Exam 3 – RN Nursing Study Guide


1. Renal Anatomy & Normal Physiology
Basic Structures

●​ Kidneys – filter blood, regulate electrolytes, acid–base, BP.
●​ Ureters – transport urine to bladder.
●​ Bladder – stores urine.
●​ Urethra – eliminates urine.

Nephron

●​ Glomerulus: filtration of blood.
●​ Proximal tubule: reabsorbs Na+, water, glucose, amino acids.
●​ Loop of Henle: concentrates urine; Na+/water balance.
●​ Distal tubule/collecting duct: final electrolyte regulation under aldosterone & ADH.

Normal Urine Pathway

Kidney → Ureters → Bladder → Urethra → Urethral meatus.

Urine Formation

1.​ Filtration (glomerulus)
2.​ Reabsorption (tubules)
3.​ Secretion (waste, H+, K+ into tubules)

Key Kidney Functions

●​ Waste removal: urea, creatinine.
●​ Fluid & Electrolyte balance: Na+, K+, Ca2+.
●​ Acid–base: regulates H+ and HCO₃⁻.
●​ BP regulation: RAAS system.
●​ Hormone production:
○​ Erythropoietin: RBC production.
○​ Calcitriol: activates vitamin D → Ca2+ absorption.

, 2. Kidney Function Tests
BUN

●​ Measures urea.
●​ ↑ BUN = dehydration, high protein intake, kidney dysfunction.

Creatinine

●​ Best indicator of kidney function.
●​ Only affected by kidney performance, not fluid status.

GFR

●​ Normal: ≥ 90 mL/min
●​ Low GFR = declining kidney function.

CKD Stages (Based on eGFR)

1.​ Stage 1: ≥ 90
2.​ Stage 2: 60–89
3.​ Stage 3a: 45–59
4.​ Stage 3b: 30–44
5.​ Stage 4: 15–29
6.​ Stage 5: < 15 (ESRD)

Urine Albumin

●​ Normal: < 30 mg/day
●​ ↑ albumin = early sign of kidney damage (especially diabetes).

Lab Patterns

●​ AKI: sudden ↑ creatinine, ↓ urine output.
●​ CKD: chronically ↑ creatinine, persistent anemia, hyperphosphatemia.
●​ Hyperkalemia: K+ > 5.0; deadly arrhythmias.




3. Chronic Kidney Disease & PKD
CKD Causes