Excretion: Dialysis, Osmoregulation and Homeostasis

Objective: Discuss the mechanism of kidney failure and the need for kidney transplants.

Infection or damage through physical trauma as well as other diseases like hypertension may result in
kidney failure. If one kidney fails the other can do the job of both, cleansing the blood. The failure of
both kidneys is fatal if a kidney transplant is not obtained.

A person may receive a kidney from a donor who is compatible with them. If the donor tissue is not
compatible, the body will recognise the transplanted kidney as foreign and will initiate an immune
response resulting in destruction of the donated kidney.

It can take quite a long time for a suitable candidate for transplant to be found. In the meantime, the
individual who has lost both kidneys needs to find a means of ridding their body of waste products.

This is achieved through dialysis.

A patient’s blood is cleansed over the course of a few hours every few days.
Dialysis is the removal of waste products from the blood by separating different sized particles by
passing the blood through a tube made of selectively permeable membrane.

During dialysis blood from a vein, usually in the arm, flows through a dialysis machine and is then
returned to the body.

Picture of a patient hooked up to a dialysis machine

In the machine, the blood is separated from the dialysis fluid by a semipermeable membrane. The
composition of dialysis fluid is similar to that of normal blood plasma.
Waste products including urea, excess water and salts pass from the blood where they are in high
concentration to the dialysis fluid where they are in low concentration through the process of diffusion.

The dialysis fluid is constantly refreshed with fresh fluid. This process continues until the contents of
the patient’s blood is the same as the contents of the dialysis fluid.
An anticoagulant is added to the blood so that it does not clot while undergoing dialysis.

Objective: Define ‘osmoregulation’.

Osmoregulation is the regulation of the concentration of blood plasma and body fluids.

Objective: Define ‘homeostasis’.

Homeostasis is a term used to describe all the mechanisms by which constant internal environment
is maintained.

Osmoregulation is a type of homeostasis. It is the regulation of the concentration of blood plasma and
bodily fluids. This is usually achieved by controlling the amount of water present.

Osmoregulation is very important as blood plasma/ tissue fluid of low concentration i.e. high water
content will cause water to enter the cells which can cause them to swell and burst.
Too high a plasma concentration i.e. very little water content can cause cell shrinkage and dehydration.

Organisms have to maintain a water balance. Water may be gained the following ways:

1. by osmosis (in the case of plant roots and freshwater animals)

2. in food and drink (animals)
3. as a product of respiration

On the other hand, water maybe lost in the following ways:

1. In urine
2. by evaporation (sweat in animals or transpiration in plants)
3. by osmosis (marine organisms)
Objective: Describe the role of the kidney in osmoregulation and the role of ADH in homeostasis.

In animals, the kidneys ensure that the correct balance is maintained by regulating the amount of water
and salt reabsorbed into the blood plasma from the fluid in the tubule.

Diagram of Structure of Nephron

This process is controlled largely by hormones

called ADH ( anti-diuretic hormone) which is
created by the hypothalamus, secreted by the
pituitary and acts on the distal convoluted
tubule and collecting ducts.

Production, Secretion and Action of ADH

When the blood is too concentrated, as might be
the case when there is excessive sweating or
after eating salty food, this is detected by the
hypothalamus of the body which causes the
pituitary gland to secrete ADH into the blood.
ADH travels in the blood to the kidneys where
it encourages the reabsorption of most of the
water from the filtrate in the distal convoluted
tubule and collecting ducts.
This water is passed back into the blood,
diluting it back to its normal concentration. As a
result of the absorption of water, small amounts
of concentrated urine are produced.
This water is passed back into the blood, diluting it back to its normal concentration . As a result of the
absorption of water, small amounts of concentrated urine are produced.

If the blood is very dilute for example due to drinking large volumes of water or reduced sweating, it is
detected by the hypothalamus. In this case no ADH is released so very little water is absorbed in the
distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct which results in copious amounts of dilute urine being
produced.

Objective: Explain what is meant by negative feedback mechanism and positive feedback mechanism
Objective: Identify examples of positive and negative feedback mechanisms in the human body.

The action of ADH in regulating the concentration of the blood (osmoregulation) is an example of a
negative feedback mechanism.
Negative feedback mechanisms work to eliminate or reduce the stimulus that activated the
response.

The high concentration of the blood (low water concentration) would be the stimulus.
The response would be the secretion of ADH and resulting absorption of water from the Distal
convoluted tubule and collecting duct.
The results would be normal concentration of the blood and small amounts of concentrated urine being
produced.
So you can see how the initial stimulus of high concentration of the blood would be eliminated by the
negative feedback mechanism.
Positive Feedback Mechanisms
A positive feedback mechanism is one which works to amplify the stimulus which activated the
response.
Example:
During labour, oxytocin is released once the mucosal plug has been expelled. This causes the womb to
contract which stimulates the production of even more oxytocin which further contracts the womb.

Here, you can see how the stimulus which was the contraction of the womb, was amplified by this
positive feedback mechanism.
These mechanisms are integral to maintaining a constant internal environment (homeostasis).

This is important for the proper functioning of the body because the enzymes which control all
metabolic reactions essential to life, are very sensitive to changes in their surroundings. constant state
of a changing external environment.
Organisms that have efficient homeostatic systems are able to tolerate a wide range of external
conditions and hence can survive in a wide range of habitats.

Apart from water, other substances and conditions must be kept relatively constant. The kidney is
responsible for maintaining the levels of mineral salts as well.
Other materials and conditions such as carbon dioxide concentration, blood glucose levels and body
temperature must also be regulated to maintain the ideal internal environment.