3.

7: Outline the role of the hormones, aldosterone and ADH (anti-diuretic

hormone) in the regulation of water and salt levels in blood

Hormones: chemical control substances that are secreted by endocrine glands directly
into bloodstream.
Aldosterone brings about conservation of salt within the body. ADH brings about
water conservation within body.
ADH: controls water reabsorption in the nephron, produced by hypothalamus in the
brain and stored in pituitary gland. ADH is released when water levels become too
low. It stimulates collecting ducts of distal tubule to reabsorb more water by
increasing membrane permeability causing water retention. Therefore urine becomes
more concentrated. When there is too much fluid in the blood, sensors in the heart
cause the hypothalamus to reduce production of ADH, decreasing amount of water
reabsorbed in the kidney resulting in a lower blood volume and large quantities of
more dilute urine.

The hormones name describes its function: a diuretic is a substance that causes loss of
water from body e.g. alcohol, teas, coffee, ‘anti-diuretic’ refers to a substance that
reduces water loss

Aldosterone: steroid hormone produced by adrenal cortex of kidney and excreted by

adrenal gland. Maintains balance of water and salts in the body and regulates the
transfer of sodium and potassium ions in the kidney. It stimulate Nephrons to increase
reabsorption of sodium into blood and the excretion of potassium. Reabsorption of
sodium ions results in the conservation (retention) of salt by body. That is less salt is
lost in urine. When sodium levels are low, aldosterone is released into the blood
causing more sodium to pass from the nephron to the blood. Water follows by
osmosis to balance the amount of water in the cell, resulting in a homeostatic balance
of blood pressure. Lack of aldosterone causes low blood volume, drop in blood
pressure and changes in heart rhythm. Lack of aldosterone can be treated by hormone
replacement therapy using fludorcortisone, which stimulates reabsorption of sodium,
therefore more water leading to higher blood volume.

ADH and aldosterone play important role in helping the kidney carry out its
homeostatic functions of osmoregulation: regulation of the solute concentration of
blood- regulating amount of sodium and other ions that are reabsorbed or secreted in
urine
Regulation of blood volume- maintaining constant fluid volume by producing either
large volume of dilute urine or small concentration of concentrated urine