renal physiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
The normal kidney has three functions:
- the excretion of waste products
- the homeostatic control of extracellular fluid volume and composition
- hormone production i.e. renin, erythropoietin & calcitriol
There are 1 million basic functional units, called nephrons, in each kidney.
Nephrons are composed of:
- glomeruli - where a selective ultrafiltrate of the blood is formed
- tubules - where selective reabsorption of filtered water and solutes occurs
Also vital to the function of the kidney are:
- the blood vessels
- the interstitium