MCAT Biology: Chapter 11
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22 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Nephron | The functional unit of the kidney |
| Cortex | The more superficial division of the kidney |
| Medulla | The more profound division of the kidney |
| Renal artery | Vessel carrying blood into the kidney for filtration |
| Renal vein | Vessel carrying blood out of the kidney which has been filtered |
| Ureter | Tube which carries the filtrate out of the kidney |
| Portal system | Name given to two sets of capillaries in series through which the blood must travel before returning into the heart |
| Afferent arterioles | Branching of the renal artery and conglomerate into a glomerulus |
| Glomerulus | A highly convoluted structure derived from afferent arterioles |
| Efferent arterioles | Blood vessels which lead blood away from the glomeruli |
| Vasa recta | A second set of capillaries distinct from the efferent/afferent arterioles |
| Bowman's capsule | Cuplike structure which surrounds the complex net of capillaries of the nephron |
| Countercurrent multiplier system | A system employed by the kidney in the loop of Henley which creates a gradient of osmolarity, allowing us to reabsorb and excrete compounds as needed |
| Aldosterone | A steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex in response to decreased blood volume. Alters the ability of the collecting duct to reabsorb sodium |
| ADH | Peptide hormone that directly alters the permeability of the collecting duct (allowing more water to be reabsorbed by making cell junctions in the duct leaky) |
| Gluconeogenesis | The creation of glucose by the liver from a variety of precursors |
| Epidermis | The outer layer of the skin |
| Dermis | The middle layer of the skin |
| Hypodermis | The inner layer of the skin |
| Endotherms | Warm-blooded animals (in which the skin has the task of thermoregulation) |
| Melanocytes | Epidermal cells which secrete melanin |
| Melanin | A pigment which keeps humans safe from UV light and DNA damage |
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