Biology HL Kidney Review Questions

1. The Table below shows the content of four solutes in blood plasma, glomerular
filtrate and urine. Some of the figures have been rounded up or down.
Concentration (mg per 100 mL of blood
Solutes Plasma Filtrate Urine
Na
+
ions !! !! 1"!!
#lucose ! ! !
Urea $! $! 1"!!
Proteins %&! ! !
a. '(plain the difference in protein concentration between the blood
plasma and glomerular filtrate. )"*
b. '(plain the difference in glucose concentration between glomerular
filtrate and urine. )$*
c. '(plain how the urea concentration becomes &! times more
concentrated in the filtrate as it flows through the nephron to become
urine. )$*
d. '(plain reasons for the sodium ions becoming concentrated b+ a
much smaller factore than urea as filtrate flows along the nephron. )$*
e. The concentration of sodium ions in urine can be higher or lower than
1"!! mg per 1!! m, of blood. '(plain how the concentration of
sodium ions can var+. )$*
". The blood glucose concentration of a person with untreated diabetes often rises
to $!!-.!! mg per 1!! m, of blood. /t can even rise to concentrations above
1!!! mg per 1!! m,. 0hen the blood glucose level reises above "". mg per
1!! m,, glucose startes to appear in the urine. The volumes of urine produced
become larger than normal, ma1ing the person deh+drated and thirst+.
a. '(plain how glucose is completel+ reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate
of people who do not have diabetes. )$*
b. '(plain wh+ glucose is not all reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate of
diabetic patients. )&*
c. Suggest wh+ untreated diabetics tend to pass large volumes of urine and
often feel thirst+. )$*
$. 2iscuss whether each f the following processes is a part of e(cretion or
osmoregulation. Some ma+ be involved in both processes, or neither.
a. Production of urine. )1*
b. Production of saliva. )1*
c. Sweating in hot weather. )1*
d. '(haling air from the lungs containing carbon dio(ide and water vapour.
)"*
e. 2rin1ing water after feeling thirst+. )1*
f. 3emoving water from unicellular organisms such as Paramecium, using a
contractile vacuole. )1*
g. 2iffusion of o(+gen and water vapour out through the stomata of plant
leaves. )"*
h. 4nimals lic1ing salt from roc1s or soils. )1*
&. 425 binds to a receptor protein in the membranes of nephron cells in the distal
convoluted tubule and the collecting duct. There is a genetic disease in which
this receptor protein is altered and 425 fails to bind to it.
a. Predict the health problems that would result from this genetic disease,
which can be serious enough to cause death if appropriate measures are
not ta1en. )&*
b. 6hildren can develop this genetic disease even if their parents show no
s+mptoms. '(plain the conclusion that +ou draw from this observation.
)"*
c. 7o+s are affected b+ this genetic disease far more fre8uentl+ than girls.
'(plain the conclusion that +ou draw from this observation. )"*
d. Suggest how the disease could be treated. )"*
.. The figure below shows the flow rate of filtrate in the nephron, as a percentage of
the original volume of filtrate formed. /t also shows the solute concentration of
the filtrate in m9sm. 425 has been secreted.
QuickTime and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
a. '(plain how the flow rate drops to "!: as the filtrate flows through the
pro(imal convoluted tubule. )"*
b. '(plain how the filtrate becomes more concentrated as it flows down the
descending limb of the loop of 5enle. )"*
c. '(plain how the filtrate becomes less concentrated as it flows up the
ascending limb of the loop of 5enle. )"*
d. '(plain how the fluid becomes more concentrated as it flows though the
distal convoluted tubule and the collecting duct. )"*
e. 0hen 425 is not circulating, t+pical figures for the start of the collecting
duct are 1!: and 1.! and for the end of the collecting duct are ": and
"!!. '(plain the differences between these figures and those shown in
the figure above. )"*