Labs and Activities
Week 1 Package 3 – The Physiology of the Kidney
In this package, the student will study the physiological processes of nephron filtration reabsorption and secretion.
Knowledge of the physiology of the kidney is essential to a nurse’s understanding of client maladaptations of elimination and fluid and electrolyte regulations.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this learning package, the student will be expected to:
- Define the following processes which form urine: (PLEASE -be careful and DO NOT use the word you are defining in your definition)
- glomerular filtration
- tubular reabsorption
- tubular secretion
- State whether process occurs due to active or passive movements for each of the following processes:
- glomerular filtration
- tubular reabsorption
- tubular secretion
- areas of nephron in which it occurs
- examples of substances moved
Lab Activities
Glomerular Filtration
- Describe the features of the renal corpuscle that facilitate blood filtration considering:
- structure of visceral and parietal layers of Bowman’s capsule
- the structural difference of the endothelium of the glomerulus and capillaries of other tissues
- the diameter of afferent and efferent arterioles
- State the significance of afferent and efferent arterial diameters on glomerular hydrostatic pressure.
- Describe the process of glomerular filtration considering:
- four pressures (define each) involved in the process
- direction in which each pressure causes fluid to move
- two pressures causing fluid to move out of glomerulus
- two pressures causing fluid to move into glomerulus
- two combined pressures which exert the greater force
- resulting effect on glomerular filtration
- For each of the filtrate substances state whether they are reabsorbed and, if so, state where and to what degree reabsorption occurs:
- glucose
- amino acids
- water
- bicarbonate ions
- Describe the process of obligatory water reabsorption considering:
- a definition of the process
- the area of the nephron in which the process occurs
- the electrolyte/solute distribution and membrane properties responsible for obligatory water reabsorption
- the approximate percentage of water reabsorbed by this method
- Describe the process of facultative water reabsorption considering:
- a definition of the process
- the area of the nephron in which the process occurs
- the electrolyte/solute distribution and membrane properties responsible for facultative water reabsorption
- the hormone and its action that is responsible for facultative water reabsorption
- the approximate percentage of water reabsorbed this method
- State the relationship between the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle and facultative water reabsorption.
- Differentiate between the average amount of filtrate formed per minute and the average amount of urine leaving the kidney per minute.
