The counter-current multiplier or the countercurrent mechanism is used to concentrate urine in the kidneys by the nephrons of the human excretory system. As urine flows downwards in the collecting tubule, it encounters higher and higher concentrations of solutes in the interstitium.
What is the countercurrent multiplier in the kidney?
Countercurrent multiplication is something the tubule does to create the high interstitial osmolality, and a large osmolality gradient between the renal medulla and the renal cortex. The countercurrent exchange mechanism is something the vasa recta do to maintain this gradient.
What are the two components of counter current mechanism?
There are two countercurrent mechanisms in the kidneys. They ‘re the loop of Henle and the vasa recta. Henle's loop is a U-shaped part of the nephron. Blood flows in opposite directions in the two limbs of the vessel, giving rise to counter-currents.
What is the result of the countercurrent multiplication mechanism quizlet?
-To conserve water, the countercurrent mechanism generates urine with osmolality greater than plasma. This concentrated urine is produced when ADH is present in the plasma (normal physiological condition). -To excrete water, the countercurrent mechanism generates urine with osmolality less than plasma.
What is the function of countercurrent?
Countercurrent exchange in an U-type countercurrent exchanger may have two functions: (1) trapping of solutes within the system by transfer of solutes from the ascending to the descending limb and (2) preventing water from entering the system by short circuiting from the descending to the ascending limb.
What is the function of countercurrent multiplication?
Countercurrent multiplication in the kidneys is the process of using energy to generate an osmotic gradient that enables you to reabsorb water from the tubular fluid and produce concentrated urine.
Why is it called countercurrent multiplication?
The structure of the loop of Henle and associated peritubular capillary create a countercurrent multiplier system (Figure 25.6. 1). The countercurrent term comes from the fact that the descending and ascending loops are next to each other and their fluid flows in opposite directions (countercurrent).
What is the principle of countercurrent exchange?
Countercurrent exchange is a mechanism occurring in nature and mimicked in industry and engineering, in which there is a crossover of some property, usually heat or some chemical, between two flowing bodies flowing in opposite directions to each other.
How is urine formed?
The kidneys filter unwanted substances from the blood and produce urine to excrete them. There are three main steps of urine formation: glomerular filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. These processes ensure that only waste and excess water are removed from the body.
What are the 4 steps of urine formation?
There are four basic processes in the formation of urine starting with plasma.
How much urine is formed in 24 hours?
The normal range for 24-hour urine volume is 800 to 2,000 milliliters per day (with a normal fluid intake of about 2 liters per day). The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.
How many urine a day is normal?
Most people urinate between six and eight times a day. But if you're drinking plenty, it's not abnormal to go as many as 10 times a day. You may also pee more often if you're taking certain medications, like diuretics for high blood pressure.
Why is Pee called pee?
Originally Answered: Why is urination called peeing? “Pee” is a euphemistic version of the word “piss,” which hails from the Old French “pisser” (to piss). Pisser comes from the Vulgar Latin “pissiare ,” which they used as an onomatopoeia for the sound of urinating.
Is it OK not to flush pee?
“Urine is normally sterile as a body fluid. Even if you have a urinary tract infection with bacteria in your urine it would be inactivated with the chlorine levels in the public water supply,” he said. “So there's really no known disease transmission with urine left un-flushed in the toilet.”
Is pee pee a bad word?
Pee is an informal but common word that means “to urinate.” Of all the slang words for bodily functions, this is one of the least offensive. Though it's not very naughty to talk about peeing or taking a pee, this term is a little childish.