What are the parts of the kidney and how do they function? Parts of the kidney Function of the kidney The kidney helps maintain the balance of the ...

What are the parts of the kidney and how do they function?
Parts of the kidney
Function of the kidney
The kidney helps maintain the balance of the internal environment, regulating the volume of extracellular fluid where Na is located and maintaining blood volume.
If the kidney does not function properly, waste products, water, and salts remain inside the body, causing swelling, an increase in heart size, and potential heart failure and death.
If the flow and volume of glomerular filtration are not maintained, the kidney cannot filter water and other substances, leading to fluid retention, swelling, and increased blood pressure.
The juxtaglomerular apparatus produces and releases renin and EPO (erythropoietin), which regulate blood pressure and red blood cell production. If it does not function properly, low levels of EPO can lead to anemia.
The kidney is composed of the cortex, medulla, and papilla, which contain nephrons and tubules.
The glomerulus, afferent and efferent arterioles, and peritubular capillaries filter the blood, with excess waste excreted in urine and necessary substances reabsorbed into the plasma.
The renal artery, interlobular artery, arcuate artery, and interlobular vein are involved in the blood flow through the kidney.
A high medullary flow rate can prevent the maintenance of an osmotic gradient, leading to an inability to maintain water and salt concentrations.
The kidney filters, reabsorbs, and secretes substances to produce urine, which is composed of excreted and filtered substances minus reabsorbed substances.
The filtration rate must be maintained to ensure proper excretion and reabsorption of substances, with the rate determined by the Starling forces and the effective filtration pressure.