1. OSMOREGULATION

2. Osmoregulation...
The kidney is responsible for osmoregulation – ‘the control of the water content in the body fluids’
reabsorbs more or less water from the renal filtrate
depends upon the needs of the body
determined by the permeability of the collecting duct to water
controlled by anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) 2

3. ADH is secreted by the posterior pituitary.
When water is in short supply and body fluids are concentrated,
ADH is released
makes the collecting duct cells permeable to water
enables water to be withdrawn from the filtrate by osmosis
water moves down the water potential gradient
In contrast, if body fluids are dilute,
less ADH is released
collecting ducts impermeable to water
larger volume of more dilute urine is produced 3

4. In the brain there are sensory neurones which act as osmoreceptors
osmoreceptors are in the hypothalamus
The cell bodies of these nerve cells make ADH and are sensitive to the concentration of the blood
When the water content of the blood is low (water potential is low) water leaves the cell
causes impulses to travel from the hypothalamus to
the posterior lobe of the pituitary
ADH is secreted from the nerve endings into the blood
In contrast, when water content is high (water potential high) water enters the osmoreceptors
prevents them firing off impulses to the pituitary 4

5. Cell body of sensory neurone (osmoreceptor) produces ADH.
Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus lose water if body fluids are concentrated.
Posterior lobe of the pituitary gland.
ADH is secreted from nerve endings into blood.
Blood transports ADH to the kidney, making the collecting ducts permeable to water. 5

6. ADH makes the walls of the collecting ducts more permeable to water
cytoplasm contains vesicles with ready-made water channels (aquaporins)
ADH binds to receptor sites in the collecting duct cell membrane
get a cascade of enzyme-controlled reactions that produces an active phosphorylase
makes the vesicles move to and fuse with the cell membrane
This puts water channels (aquaporins) into the membrane-making them more permeable
enables absorption of water from the fluid in the collecting ducts as it travels through the salty medulla
water travels down its water potential gradient 6

7. Q “Why does coffee make people wee more?”
Diuretics increase the production of urine.
Caffeine is a diuretic and is present in tea, coffee and many soft drinks
Diuretics are also present in dandelion
probably explains the old wives’ tale that picking dandelion makes you wet the bed, and hence names for it like piss-a-bed (old English) and pissenlie (French) 7

8. Filtrate produced per day = renal filtration rate x 60 x 24
TASK: The human kidneys filter large volumes of blood, approximately 1.2dm3 min-1, from which they produce 125cm3 filtrate min-1 (renal filtration rate). Typical production of urine is 1.5dm3 day-1. How much filtrate is produced per day? What is the percentage reabsorption of water from this filtrate?
Filtrate produced per day = renal filtration rate x 60 x 24
125 x 60 x 24 cm3 = 180,000 cm3 = 180 dm3
Answer = 180 dm3 day-1
percentage reabsorption = reabsorbed/daily filtrate x 100
( ) x 100 / 180 = x 100 / 180 = Answer = 99.2% reabsorption 8

9. Smaller volume of more concentrated urine
Q: Using water potential terminology, explain how water is reabsorbed from the fluid in the collecting duct as it passes through the medulla.
Medulla has a low (more negative) water potential compared to the fluid in the collecting duct. If CD walls are permeable, water travels down water potential gradient from CD into the medulla 
Q: What effect will the removal of water from the fluid in the collecting duct have upon the volume of urine produced and its concentration?
Smaller volume of more concentrated urine  9

10. Q: What impact will this have on the water potential of body fluids?
 It will raise the water potential, making it less negative
Q: When the water content of the body is high, osmoreceptors are no longer stimulated and the neuro-secretion of ADH slows. Suggest how this results in reduced permeability of the collecting ducts to water.
The reabsorbed water dilutes the blood and raises its water potential
water is no longer withdrawn from the osmoreceptors and they stop neuro-secretion of ADH
causes water channels to be removed from the collecting duct membranes
membranes become less permeable
produce greater quantity of more dilute urine  10

11. Complete to show mechanisms
Osmoreceptors in hypothalamus detect changes in concentration of body fluids
Body fluids concentrated
Body fluids dilute
Complete to show mechanisms 11

12. Collecting duct walls more permeable so more H2O is absorbed
ADH is secreted by the posterior pituitary and transported to the kidney in the blood
Collecting duct walls more permeable so more H2O is absorbed
Body fluids concentrated
Osmoreceptors in hypothalamus detect changes in concentration of body fluids
Collecting duct walls impermeable (less permeable) so less H2O is absorbed
Body fluids dilute
Less ADH is secreted by the posterior pituitary so less is transported to the kidney 12