URINE FORMATION BY

THE KIDNEYS

1.

GLOMERULAR FILTRATION,
RENAL BLOOD FLOW
ANDTHEIR CONTROL
Multiple Functions of the Kidneys
Excretion of metabolic waste products
and foreign chemicals
Regulation of water and electrolyte
balances
Regulation of body fluid osmolality and
electrolyte concentrations
Regulation of arterial pressure
Regulation of acid-based balance
Secretion, metabolism, and excretion of
hormones

Physiologic Anatomy of
the Kidneys
General Organization of the kidneys and Urinary
Tract

Renal Blood Supply

Blood Flow to the kidneys
22% of Cardiac Output or 1100 ml/min.

The Nephron and Functional Unit

of the Kidney

Each kidney in humans contains

about 1 million nephrons

after age 40 functioning nephrons decreases

10% every 10 years
at age 80, 40% fewer functioning nephrons
than age 40

Regional Differences in Nephron

Structure-Cortical and Juxtam edullary
Nephron

Cortical Nephron - have glomeruli

located in the outer cortex and have a
short loops of Henle that penetrates
into the medulla.

Juxtamedullay Nephron - 20 to 30%

have
glomeruli thatlie dip in the
renal cortex
near the medulla
and have long loops of Henle that dip
deeply into the medulla

Urine Formation Results

from
A. Glomerular Filtration
B. Tubular Reabsorption
C. Tubular Secretion
Expressed mathematically as:
Urinary excretion rate = Filtration rate Reabsorption
rate +
Secretion rate

Real
Handling of
4
Hypothetica
l
Substances

A. Substances freely filtered but not reabsorbed

- waste products in the body such as Creatinine
B. Substances freely filtered but is also partly
reabsorbed from the tubules back into the blood.
- typical for many Electrolytes of the body
Calculated as Filtration rate minus Reabsorption rate
C. Substances is freely filtered at the glomerular capillaries but is
not excreted into the urine - all filtered substances as reabsorbed
from the tubules back into the blood.

- Nutritional substances in the blood such as Amino Acids and

Glucose

D. Substances freely filtered at the glomerular capillaries and is

not reabsorbed. Additional quantities of this substances are
secreted from the peripheral capillary blood into the renal tubules
- Organic Acid and Bases
Excretion rate = Filtration rate plus Tubular secretion rate

Filtration, Reabsorption and Secretion of Different

Substances
- tubular reabsorption is more important than
tubular
secretion in formation of urine
- Secretion play important role in determining the
amounts of potassium and hydrogen ions.

Glomerular Filtration -

The
first Step in Urine Formation
Composition of the Glomerular Filtrate
- protein free and devoid of cellular elements
including red blood cells
- calcium and fatty acids not freely filtered
because
they are bound to plasma proteins

GFR = 125 ml/min or 180 L/day

Filtration Fraction = GFR/Renal plasma flow

Glomerula
r Capillary
Membrane

Major Layers:

1. Endothelium of the capillary

2. Layer of endothelial cells (podocytes)

- Filterability of Solutes is inversely Related to

their size
- Negatively Charge Large Molecules are
Filtered Less Easily Than Positively Charged
Molecules of Equal Membrane Size

1. The sum of the hydrostatic and colloid

osmotic forces across the glomerular
membrane which gives the net filtration
pressure
2. The glomerular capillary filtration
coefficient, Kf.
GFR= Kf x Net filtration pressure
= Kf x (PG - PB - G+ B)
PG is glomerular hydrostatic pressure
PB is hydrostatic pressure in Bowmans capsule
G is colloid osmotic pressure of the glomerular
capillary plasma proteins
B is colloid osmotic pressure of the Bowmans
capsule

Page 318 - Forces

Favoring Filtration and
Forces opposing Filtration

Increased Glomerular Capillary Filtration

Coefficient Increases GFR
Kf = GFR/filtration pressure
= 125 ml/min/10mmHg

Increased Bowmans Capsule

Hydrostatic Pressure Decreases
GFR
Increases Glomerular Capillary Colloid
Osmotic Pressure Increases GFR

Determined by:
1. Arterial pressure
2. Afferent arteriolar resistance
3. Efferent arteriolar resistance

Filtration and Blood Flow

1. Sympathetic nervous system Activation Decreases
GFR

2. Hormonal and Autocoid Control of Renal

Circulation

Role of
Tubuloglomerul
ar Feedback in
Autoregulation
og GFR

Other Factors that Increases

Renal Blood Flow and GFR
- High Protein Intake
- Increased Blood Glucose