MECHANISM

OF
URINE
FORMATION
CONTENTS:
• Nephron : The functional unit
• Structure of nephron
• Composition of urine
• Urine Formation:
i)Glomerular Filtration
ii)Selective Reabsorption
iii)Tubular Secretion
Nephron:The functional unit
• Structural and functional unit of kidney
• Site of urine production
• Four major functions:
i)Filtration
ii)Reabsorption
iii)Secretion
iv)Excretion
• Removes nitrogenous waste from the
bloodstream like urea,uric acid,creatinine,etc,.
Structure of Nephron :
Composition of urine
Urine is an aqueous solution of greater than 95% water, with a
minimum of these remaining constituents, in order of
decreasing concentration:
• Urea 9.3 g/L.
• Chloride 1.87 g/L.
• Sodium 1.17 g/L.
• Potassium 0.750 g/L.
• Creatinine 0.670 g/L .
• Other dissolved ions, inorganic and organic compounds
(proteins, hormones, metabolites).
Urine Formation
• Also known as uropoeisis
• Nephron in the kidneys produce urine by three
precisely regulated process
• The three process includes :
i)Glomerular Filtration (or)Ultrafiltration
ii)Selective Reabsorption
iii)Tubular secretion
i)Glomerular Filtration
• Blood flows into glomerulus by through afferent arteriole
•  The Bowman’s capsule (also called the glomerular
capsule) surrounds the glomerulus and is composed of
visceral (simple squamous epithelial cells—inner) and
parietal (simple squamous epithelial cells—outer) layers.
• Efferent arteriole is narrower than afferent arteriole
• A high hydrostatic pressure is maintained,that facilitates
the filtration
• Ultrafiltration takes place
• Basement membrane of glomeruli and podocytes
facilitates ultrafiltration
• Contains pores that allowes small particles like
glucose,urea,uric acid,salt,water to get fitrated and forms
glomerular filtrate
• Filtrate that leaked out from glomerulus : glomerular
filtrate/uric filtrate
• The filtrate then moves into the bowmans capsule and
further into other parts of the nephron
ii)Selective Reabsorption
• The reabsorption of filtered molecules, i.e. H+ Na+, K+, ions
from the glomerular filtrate in the tubules to the blood 
• About 85% of the 180L of filtrate formed per day is
reabsorbed by this process.
• Reuptake of useful substances from the filtrate and occurs in
the convoluted tubules (proximal and distal)
•  Majority of selective reabsorption occurs in proximal
convoluted tubule
• The constituents of glomerular filtrate is categorised into 3
types:
i)High Threshold Substances : completely absorbed as they
are so useful for the body(i.e.,glucose,aminoacids).
ii)Low Threshold Substances : absorbed in very low
quantity(i.e.,urea which helps in regulation of osmolarity).
iii)Non-Threshold Substances : not absorbed by the
body(i.e,.Hippuric acid,creatinine)
• The selective absorption takes place by two types of transport:
#)Active Absorption(uses energy for absoprtion)
#)Passive Absorption(doesn’t use energy)
• Absorption in proximal convoluted tubule:
i)Contains microvilli , brush border epithelial cells that
facilitates absorption
ii)Has more number of mitochondria that constantly provide
ATP for active absorption
iii)Active Absorption of glucose , aminoacid,Na+(70%),K+(75%)
iv)Passive Absorption of chlorine,water(osmosis)
• Absorption in descending loop :
i)permeable only to water
ii)filtrate becomes hypertonic as they contain more dissolved
particles
• Absorption in Ascending loop:
i)impermeable to water
ii)absorbs Na+ , K+ , HCO3-
iii)filtrate becomes isotonic
• Absorption in Distal Convoluted Tubule :
i)absorbes Na+ , K+ , Cl- , HCO3-
• When the filtrate enters the collecting duct , it is then called as
urine
• Collecting duct reabsorbes water and small amount of urea for
regulating the osmolarity
iii)Tubular Secretion
• Transfer of harmful material from blood capillaries to renal
tubules
• Occurs mainly by active transport
• Harmful substances are secreted into tubules
• In PCT : Urea,uric acid,creatinine,some
drugs,H+,NH4+,pigments,etc,.
• In loop of Henle : Urea
• In DCT and collecting duct : H+,K+,NH4+,CO3-
• Now these substances along with the glomerular filtrate is
called as urine after entering the collecting duct.
• This urine is collected by the collecting duct from many
number of nephrons and excreted out from the body
Thank you !!!