Renal- Anatomical Terms
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Afferent Arteriole: the small artery that carries blood toward the capillaries of
the glamorulus.
Bowman’s Capsule: cup-shaped strucutre of the nephron of a kidney which
encloses the glomerulus and which filtration takes place.
Collecting Tubule:
Distal Convoluted Tubule: The part of the kidney tubule that is targeted by
aldosterone.
Efferent Arteriole: The small artery that carries blood away from the capillaries
of the glomerulus.
Glomerular Capsule: Thin double membrane surrounding the glomerulus of a
nephron
Glomerlus: The filtration unit of the nephron.
Kidneys: Organs that filter nitrogen wastes from blood to make urine.
Loop of Henle: Section of the nephron tubule that conserves water and
minimizes the volume of urine
Nephron (renal tube): Tiny filtering unit of the kidney
Proximal Convoluted Tuble: First part of the tubular portion of nephron
Renal Cortex: Outer region of the kidney
Renal Medulla: Inner portion of the kidney
Renal Papillae: The apex of the pyramid in a kidney, where urine comes out of.
Renal Pelvis: Funne;-shaped reservoir that collects the urine and passes it to the
ureter
Renal- Physiological Terms
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Aldosterone: "salt-retaining hormone" which promotes the retention of Na+ by
the kidneys.
Angiotension: Stimulates Adrenal cortex to release aldosterone- to attain Na
and H2O and exrete K.
Antidiuretic Hormone: Promotes retention of water by kidneys.
Bicarbonate: a salt containing the anion HCO3Carbonic Acid: a very weak acid formed in solution when carbon dioxide
dissolves in water
Diuretic: Any substance that tends to increase the flow of urine.
Erythropoietin: A glycoprotein secreted by the kidneys that stimulates the
production of red blood cells.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (gfr): Speed at which filtrate is made at gomerulus.
Affected by blood pressure and blood volume.
Renin: Enzyme that is produced by the kidney; important for blood pressure
and volume regulation
Renal- Symptomatic Terms
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Acetonuria: Excessive amounts of ketone bodies in the urine as in diabetes
mellitus or starvation
Acidemia: A blood disorder characterized by an increased concentration of
hydrogen ions in the blood (which falls below 7 on the pH scale)
Albuminuria: Protein in the urine.
Anuria: Inability to urinate.
Azotemia: Metabolic wastes in the blood
Dysuria: Painful or difficult urination.
Hematuria: The presence of blood in the urine.
Hyperkalemia: Excessive potassium in the blood.
Micturition: The process of urinating
Nocturia: Excessive urination at night.
Oliguria: Production of an abnormally small amount of urine.
Proteinuria: Protein in the urine.
Pyuria: Presence of white blood cells in the urine
Renal Insufficiency: Insufficient excretion of wastes by the kidneys.
Renal Osteodystrophy: Bone lesions due to secondary hyperparathyroidism
due in turn to renal disease.
Renal Diagnostic Terms
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Acidosis- reduced alkalinity of blood/tissues marked by sweet breath,
headache, nausea/vomiting
Arteriolar Nephrosclerosis- Occurs in hypertensive patients. their renal
arteries undergo thickening with the glomeruli and tubules undergoing
secondary degenerative changes.
Glomerulonephritides- nephritis marked by inflammation of the capillaries of
the renal glomeruli
Hypertrophy of kidney- enlarged kidney
Nephritic syndrome- inflammatory reaction injures the capillary walls,
permitting escape of RBC into urine, and induces blood flow.
Nephrolithiasis (renal calculi)- kidney stones
Nephrosclerosis- hardening of blood vessels in kidneys
Nephritic syndrome- definition of albumin in blood and excess excretion of
protein in urine due to altered permeability of glomerular basement membranes
Pyelonephriti- inflammation of parenchyma of a kidney and lining of its renal
pelvis
Uremia- accumulation in the blood of constituents normally eliminated in the
urine that produces a severe toxic condition
Renal Operative Terms
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Nephrectomy- surgical removal of kidney
Nephrolithotomy- surgical removal of calculus from kidney
Nephrostomy- surgical formation of an opening between the renal pelvis and
the outside of the body
Nephrotomy- surgical incision of a kidney (as for the extraction of a stone)
Pyelolithotomy-surgical incision of the renal pelvis of a kidney for removal of a
kidney stone
Pyleoplasty- plastic surgery of the renal pelvis of a kidney
Pyletomy- surgical incision into the renal pelvis of a kidney
Renal Biopsy- Removal of kidney tissue for microscopic examination.
Renal Transplantation- Surgical transfer of a kidney from a donor to a
recipient.
Renal-Special Procedures
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Arterio-venous shunt -the diversion of blood from an artery directly to a vein
Dialysis- treatment for kidney failure that helps filter waste products from the
blood when the kidneys are not working properly
Hemodialysis- a process that uses a man made membrane (dialyzer) to remove
wastes such as urea from the blood, restore the proper balance of electrolytes in
the blood, and eliminate extra fluid from the body.
Peritoneal dialysis- uses a membrane in the abdomen (the peritoneal
membrane) as a natural filter to clear wastes and extra fluid from the body and
to keep chemical levels in the body as close to normal as possible.
Renal- Special Diagnostic Procedures
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Intravenous pyelography- a pyelogram in which radiographic visualization is
obtained after intravenous administration of a radiopaque medium which
collects in and is excreted by the kidney
Nephrogram- xray of the kidney
Nephrosonography- ultrasound procedure in which a kidney is imaged with
the use of sound waves
Pyleogram- imaging the renal pelvis
Ultrasonic laminograms of kidney- renal ultrasound
Urogram- xray of urinary tract
Urography- Process of taking x-ray images of the urinary tract after injecting
contrast.
Renal- Abbreviations
ADH- anti-diuretic hormone
A/G-albumin/globulin (ratio)
Alb-albumin
BUN-blood, urea, nitrogen
CAPD- continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
cath-catheter
chr- chronic
CRF-chronic renal failure
ERPF- Effective Renal Plasma Flow
ESRD- end stage renal disease
fld-Fluid
GBM-Glomerular Basement Membrane
GFR- Glomerular Filtration Rate
HDU-high dependency unit
IVP-intravenous pyleogram
KUB-kidney, ureter, bladder
LSK-liver, spleen, kidneys
NPNnon protein nitrogen
PDUPulmonary Doppler Ultrasonography
PSP-Parathyroid Secretory Protein
PTH-Parathyroid Hormone
RER-Renal Excretion Rate
RPF-Renal Plasma Flow
RTA-Renal tubular acidosis
SUN-Standard Unit of Nomenclature
UA-URIC ACID
UTI-urinary tract infection
-otomy- incision
-ostomy-opening