Introduction.
Urine is a waste product formed by the kidneys after filtration of the blood.
Composition of Urine:
Color: Yellow / Pale yellow.
pH: 6 to 7.5
Volume: 1 to 2 Liters / Day.
Odor: Aromatic, Strong ammoniacal on standing or concentrating.
Composition:
Normal Ingredients:
Water, Urea, Uric Acid, Creatinine, Ammonia, Sodium, Potassium, Chlorides, Sulphates, Phosphates etc.
Abnormal Ingredients:
Glucose: Diabetes mellitus.
Proteins: Kidney infection.
Blood Components: Kidney Infection.
Ketone bodies: Ketosis.
Bile Pigments: Liver disorder, heavy RBC destruction.
Urine production is lowered during sleep and exercise.
Physiology of Urine Formation
The main function of the kidney is to clean the plasma, the waste product formed in the process is called “Urine”.
The urine formed in kidneys is transported via ureters to the urinary bladder, the temporary urine storage site, urine is then excreted from the body by a process called “Micturition”.
Urine is formed in the kidney in the following three steps,
Glomerular Filtration
Selective Reabsorption.
Tubular Secretion
Glomerular Filtration:
First step in the process of urine formation.
It occurs in the ‘renal corpuscle’ at the ‘filtration membrane’.
Afferent arteriole has a large diameter and efferent arteriole has a smaller diameter; this difference between diameters causes an increase in pressure inside glomerulus which facilitates filtration.
The blood cells, plasma proteins and any other larger molecules normally can not be filtered due to their larger size.
The fluid that passes into the capsular space of the bowman's capsule is called “Filtrate”.
Glomerular Filtration Rate:
The amount of filtrate formed in all renal corpuscles of both the kidneys per minute is called “Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)”.
Normal GFR = 125 ml/min (125x60x24. 180 lit. per day)
Selective Reabsorption:
The filtrate after entering the “renal tubule” gets reabsorbed.
About 99% of the filtrate is reabsorbed and enters the blood, while only 1% filtrate forms the urine.
The movement of water and other solutes from filtrate to peritubular capillaries is called “Selective Reabsorption.”
The term “Selective” is used as only selected substances are reabsorbed e.g. glucose, amino acids, ions like sodium, chloride, potassium, bicarbonate, phosphate etc.
The reabsorption is active as well as passive, involving energy as well as without involving energy.
Selective reabsorption is influenced by various hormones like,
Parathyroid hormones (Parathyroid Gland): ↑ reabsorption of calcium and phosphate ions.
AntiDiuretic Hormone, ADH (Pituitary Gland): ↑ reabsorption of water.
Aldosterone (Adrenal Gland): ↑ Sodium and water reabsorption.
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (Cardiac Atria): ↓ reabsorption of sodium and water from PCT.
Tubular Secretion:
It is the third and last step in urine formation.
In this process various substances are added in filtrate, e.g. Potassium ions, Hydrogen ions, urea, ammonium ions, creatinine, certain drugs like Penicillin etc.
Tubular secretion of “Hydrogen Ions” is an important thing in relation to body pH maintenance.
Commonly asked Questions.
What is Urine? Discuss physiology of formation of urine.
With a well labelled diagram of Nephron discuss physiology of formation of urine.
Draw a well labelled diagram of L. S. of kidney and discuss in detail the physiology of formation of urine.