Textbook Question
Explain the important differences between blood plasma and glomerular filtrate, and relate the differences to the structure of the filtration membrane.
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Ch. 25 The Urinary System
Hoehn, Haynes, Abbott12th EditionMarieb Human Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780138242732
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 The Human Body: An Orientation25
- Ch. 2 Chemistry Comes Alive24
- Ch. 3 Cells: The Living Units24
- Ch. 4 Tissue: The Living Fabric19
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System12
- Ch. 6 Bones and Skeletal Tissues19
- Ch. 7 The Skeleton14
- Ch. 8 Joints7
- Ch. 9 Muscles and Muscle Tissue26
- Ch. 10 The Muscular System25
- Ch. 11 Fundamentals of the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue23
- Ch. 12 The Central Nervous System25
- Ch. 13 The Peripheral Nervous System and Reflex Activity30
- Ch. 14 The Autonomic Nervous System16
- Ch. 15 The Special Senses26
- Ch. 16 The Endocrine System26
- Ch. 17 Blood27
- Ch. 18 The Cardiovascular System: The Heart25
- Ch. 19 The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels27
- Ch. 20 The Lymphatic System and Lymphoid Organs and Tissues16
- Ch. 21 The Immune System: Innate and Adaptive Body Defenses27
- Ch. 22 The Respiratory System21
- Ch. 23 The Digestive System31
- Ch. 24 Nutrition, Metabolism, and Energy Balance26
- Ch. 25 The Urinary System26
- Ch. 26 Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance24
- Ch. 27 The Reproductive System24
- Ch. 28 Pregnancy and Human Development25
- Ch. 29 Heredity11
Hoehn, Haynes, Abbott12th EditionMarieb Human Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780138242732Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 25, Problem 19
Trace the pathway a creatinine molecule takes from a glomerulus to the urethra. Name every microscopic or gross structure it passes through on its journey.
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Start at the glomerulus, where creatinine is filtered from the blood into the Bowman's capsule. This is the initial step in urine formation.
Next, the filtrate containing creatinine enters the proximal convoluted tubule, where some reabsorption and secretion occur, but creatinine mostly remains in the filtrate.
From the proximal tubule, the filtrate flows into the loop of Henle, which has descending and ascending limbs that concentrate or dilute the filtrate.
After the loop of Henle, the filtrate moves into the distal convoluted tubule, where further regulation of ions and water occurs.
The filtrate then enters the collecting duct, which collects urine from multiple nephrons and channels it into the renal papilla, then into the minor calyx, major calyx, renal pelvis, ureter, urinary bladder, and finally through the urethra to be excreted.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Renal Filtration and the Glomerulus
The glomerulus is a network of capillaries where blood plasma is filtered into Bowman's capsule, initiating urine formation. Creatinine, a waste product, is filtered out of the blood here due to its small size and inability to be reabsorbed, marking the start of its journey through the nephron.
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Renal Physiology: Regulation of Glomerular Filtration Example 1
Nephron Tubular System
After filtration, creatinine travels through the nephron's tubular system, including the proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, and collecting duct. These microscopic structures modify the filtrate by reabsorbing water and solutes, but creatinine remains largely unchanged, moving toward the renal pelvis.
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Urinary Tract Structures from Kidney to Urethra
From the collecting ducts, creatinine-containing urine flows into the renal calyces, then the renal pelvis, and down the ureters to the bladder. Finally, urine passes through the urethra during excretion. These gross anatomical structures transport urine out of the body.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Describe the changes that occur in kidney and bladder anatomy and physiology in old age.
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Textbook Question
Explain why the filtrate becomes hypotonic as it flows through the ascending limb of the nephron loop. Also explain why the filtrate at the bend of the nephron loop (and the interstitial fluid of the deep portions of the medulla) is hypertonic.
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Textbook Question
How does urinary bladder anatomy support its storage function?
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Textbook Question
How does aldosterone modify the chemical composition of urine?
Textbook Question
Explain the process and purpose of tubular secretion.
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