Review Questions

1. Describe the various fluid compartments in the body and how the fluid in each compartment is defined.
   

2. Identify the body's chief mechanism for maintaining fluid balance.
   

3. Briefly describe what electrolytes are and give a few examples.
   

4. Explain the major function of the kidney, then sketch or describe its basic functional unit.
   

5. Identify and describe the three regulatory processes that the nephrons perform in filtering the body's blood.
   

6. A. Name the chemical that is normally entirely reabsorbed back into the blood from the tubules.
   B. Identify the disease state that is associated with the tubules inability to reabsorb the chemical.
   C. Explain the diagnostic procedure used to identify this disease.
   

7. What is the most important factor that determines urine volume?
   

8. What are the two primary regulators of body water?
   

1. Name the body changes in flight that were studied by Dr. Carolyn Leach in her space flight experiments. Select one and briefly describe the changes.
   

2. 1. A. What measurement is made with the use of the "plasma clearance method"?
   2. Describe this measurement procedure.
   3. How is the kidney involved?

3. Anatomically, at what place in the kidney does the cleansing of blood begin?
   

4. Describe the mechanisms that operate for the kidneys to keep the sodium level in the body at equilibrium.
   

5. Name a tracer that is used in kidney function tests and identify at least 3 of the criteria that it must meet to be used as a tracer.
   

6. From the data that are presented in this chapter, determine which daily measurements of sodium were taken during flight, whether the results were elevated or decreased during the first twelve days of flight, and what this information might indicate?
   

CRITICAL THINKING

1. List the basic chemical components of plasma and identify a major function of each.
2. 1. What daily measurements of sodium were taken during flight?
   2. Were the results elevated or decreased during the first twelve days of flight, and what might this data indicate as to what is occurring to the body's fluid regulation system ?
3. 1. How is total blood flow through the kidney calculated?
   2. Calculate the plasma flow rate for a person with a hematocrit of 2%.

      Remember the hematocrit is the % RBC mass, so to find the plasma volume, you must subtract the hematocrit % from 100%. This will give you the plasma volume.