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Why is osmosis important to proper kidney functioning?

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Why is osmosis important to proper kidney functioning?

Include how osmosis is related to nephron physiology.

How does the nephron perform filtration, reabsorption and tubular secretion?

What are some examples of "water following salt."

These areas are encompassed.

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Ideas to justify why osmosis is vital for kidney functions are provided.

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Question: Why is osmosis important to proper kidney functioning?

Response: Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration across a differentially permeable membrane, such as a plasma membrane. In other words, where solutes are in LOW concentration, water is in high concentration. That means that water will naturally flow (through the process known as osmosis) from the place where solute concentrations are low towards places where solute concentrations are high.

Many aspects of kidney function (and nephron physiology) relate to osmosis. If there was no osmosis, we would simply dehydrate so fast that we couldn't drink enough to stop it. Why not? Because osmosis is crucial to tubular reabsorption.

Question: Include how osmosis is related to nephron physiology.

Response: Most of the water and solutes filtered in the glomerulus are reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule. If this did not happen, then we would urinate so much we'd have to live in a bathroom! For example, kidneys receive about 1400 liters of blood per day. That's an enormous volume. About 12 percent of that is filtered. That makes about 180 liters a day that we would have to drink if there was ...

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