How does the kidney filter, absorb, and secrete fluid?
In kidney filtration, which takes place in the glomerlus, about 20% of the plasma that passes through the kidney gets filtered into the nephron. Filtration is driven by the hydrostatic pressure of the blood, and causeswater and small molecules to be filtered, while blood cells and large molecules like proteins do not pass through the filter. Source [10] In reabsorption & secretion, as the filtrate passes down the nephron most of it is reabsorbed into the blood. Reabsorption and secretion require a large amount of every which results in the kidney being one of the most metabolically active organs in the body The overall net Process is displayed below: Amt in Urine = Amt Filtered – Amt Reabsorbed + Amt Secreted Source [10] At what rate is the kidney capable of filtering all of these fluids? The rate at which the kidney filters blood plasma is called the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and is relatively easy to measure. It is a good way of assessing the kidney function. See description
