Kidney Questions
Renal Blood Flow and Glomerular Filtration
1. What are the two stages of urine formation?
2. Why do we need such a high GFR?
3. Why is tubular fluid an ultrafiltrate?
4. What is the three-layer sieve of the glomerulus?
5. What are the two intrinsic controls of GFR?
6. What is the extrinsic control of GFR?
7. What are two disorders of renal function?
Structure and Function of the Renal Tubule
Describe active transfer/primary active transport, passive transfer and co-
transport/secondary active transport.
Describe how glucose (and AA and H+ is similarly dealt with) is reabsorbed by
utilising Na+
What are the two types of nephrons and how are they different?
How is the PCT specalised for its job?
What happens to glucose, AA and bicarb and water in PCT?
What is Faconi’s syndrome? What would be the sign?
Describe the function of the LoH and what occurs as filtrate passes through?
Describe and explain the function of the vasa recta
What is the macula densa and where is it?
What connects the DCT to collecting duct?
What are the functions of DCT?
What are the two main cells of the collecting duct?
What happens with urea in the collecting duct?
Explain what occurs in anti-diuresis and diuresis?
What is PKD? Glomerulonephritis?
What are some acquired kidney diseases?
Renal Plasma Clearance
Will we see Ca2+, fatty acids and hormones like thyroxine in urine?
What is GFR?
What are the Starling forces acting at the glomerulus?
Why is GFR important?
What is the theory behind measuring GFR? What is the gold standard and why?
What do we use instead in clinical practice? Describe and explain the equation
for working out plasma clearance.
Describe the serum creatinine graphs and what they tell us
What is eGFR? Why is it useful? What are its limitations?
What are the CKD stages?
How is glucose dealt with in the kidney?
What are some substances with a clearance less than GFR?
What are some substances with a clearance greater than GFR?
How do you calculate RPF and filtration fraction?
, Potassium Balance
What is internal balance and external balance of K+?
What are the three reasons why K+ balance is important.
Explain the effects of ECF K+ changes on membrane potentials and why
Describe common causes of hypokalemia
Describe common causes of hyperkalemia and how you would treat it?
How is chronic regulation of K+ related to CVD?
Describe the process of reabsorption in the PCT.
Describe the process of reabsorption in the LoH.
What can happen to K+ in the DCT? What is the effect of aldosterone on K+? What is
the effect of pH changes on K+?
How does increased plasma [K+] affect K+ secretion? Link this to aldosterone also.
How does increase flow rate affect K+ secretion? What may increase flow rate (V*)?
Does reabsorption occur in the DCT and CD? If so where and under what
circumstances?
How is it that changes in ECFV and Na+ handling result in little change in K+
excretion?
Describe what happens when of low BP and low Na+
Summarise the factors that influence internal K+ balance
Describe how Addisons disease and Conn’s syndrome can affect Na + and K+ balance
Abnormalities of Salt and Body Water
What is our percentage weight of water? How is it distributed? What are the
separating compartments?
Explain concept of osmolality and why it is important in the body, give example of
how the brain may be effected?
How is volume regulation controlled and how is osmoregulation controlled?
What is the physiological response to water restriction and increased water intake?
What are the two physiological stimulators of ADH release?
Explain the concept of solute load
Describe and explain the thirst response (there are two types)
What two things can cause water excess and water depletion?
Explain why hyponatremia and hypo-osmolality are linked
What syndrome can lead to hyponatremia?
What may lead to water depletion? What syndromes? What would be the symptoms?
How would we test?
Blood Pressure and the Kidney
How are Na+ and BP linked?
What are the afferent and efferent pathways of Na+ and hence ECFV control (and thus
long term BP!)
Describe the RAAS system
How does Aldosterone work?
What are the cardiac natriuretic peptides, what is their function and how do they
work?
Renal Blood Flow and Glomerular Filtration
1. What are the two stages of urine formation?
2. Why do we need such a high GFR?
3. Why is tubular fluid an ultrafiltrate?
4. What is the three-layer sieve of the glomerulus?
5. What are the two intrinsic controls of GFR?
6. What is the extrinsic control of GFR?
7. What are two disorders of renal function?
Structure and Function of the Renal Tubule
Describe active transfer/primary active transport, passive transfer and co-
transport/secondary active transport.
Describe how glucose (and AA and H+ is similarly dealt with) is reabsorbed by
utilising Na+
What are the two types of nephrons and how are they different?
How is the PCT specalised for its job?
What happens to glucose, AA and bicarb and water in PCT?
What is Faconi’s syndrome? What would be the sign?
Describe the function of the LoH and what occurs as filtrate passes through?
Describe and explain the function of the vasa recta
What is the macula densa and where is it?
What connects the DCT to collecting duct?
What are the functions of DCT?
What are the two main cells of the collecting duct?
What happens with urea in the collecting duct?
Explain what occurs in anti-diuresis and diuresis?
What is PKD? Glomerulonephritis?
What are some acquired kidney diseases?
Renal Plasma Clearance
Will we see Ca2+, fatty acids and hormones like thyroxine in urine?
What is GFR?
What are the Starling forces acting at the glomerulus?
Why is GFR important?
What is the theory behind measuring GFR? What is the gold standard and why?
What do we use instead in clinical practice? Describe and explain the equation
for working out plasma clearance.
Describe the serum creatinine graphs and what they tell us
What is eGFR? Why is it useful? What are its limitations?
What are the CKD stages?
How is glucose dealt with in the kidney?
What are some substances with a clearance less than GFR?
What are some substances with a clearance greater than GFR?
How do you calculate RPF and filtration fraction?
, Potassium Balance
What is internal balance and external balance of K+?
What are the three reasons why K+ balance is important.
Explain the effects of ECF K+ changes on membrane potentials and why
Describe common causes of hypokalemia
Describe common causes of hyperkalemia and how you would treat it?
How is chronic regulation of K+ related to CVD?
Describe the process of reabsorption in the PCT.
Describe the process of reabsorption in the LoH.
What can happen to K+ in the DCT? What is the effect of aldosterone on K+? What is
the effect of pH changes on K+?
How does increased plasma [K+] affect K+ secretion? Link this to aldosterone also.
How does increase flow rate affect K+ secretion? What may increase flow rate (V*)?
Does reabsorption occur in the DCT and CD? If so where and under what
circumstances?
How is it that changes in ECFV and Na+ handling result in little change in K+
excretion?
Describe what happens when of low BP and low Na+
Summarise the factors that influence internal K+ balance
Describe how Addisons disease and Conn’s syndrome can affect Na + and K+ balance
Abnormalities of Salt and Body Water
What is our percentage weight of water? How is it distributed? What are the
separating compartments?
Explain concept of osmolality and why it is important in the body, give example of
how the brain may be effected?
How is volume regulation controlled and how is osmoregulation controlled?
What is the physiological response to water restriction and increased water intake?
What are the two physiological stimulators of ADH release?
Explain the concept of solute load
Describe and explain the thirst response (there are two types)
What two things can cause water excess and water depletion?
Explain why hyponatremia and hypo-osmolality are linked
What syndrome can lead to hyponatremia?
What may lead to water depletion? What syndromes? What would be the symptoms?
How would we test?
Blood Pressure and the Kidney
How are Na+ and BP linked?
What are the afferent and efferent pathways of Na+ and hence ECFV control (and thus
long term BP!)
Describe the RAAS system
How does Aldosterone work?
What are the cardiac natriuretic peptides, what is their function and how do they
work?
