Intercalated cells are kidney tubule epithelial cells with important roles in the regulation of acid-base homeostasis. However, in recent years the understanding of the function of the intercalated cell has become greatly enhanced and has shaped a new model for how the distal segments of the kidney …

The principal cell of the kidney collecting duct is one of the most highly regulated epithelial cell types in vertebrates. The effects of hormonal, autocrine, and paracrine factors to regulate principal cell transport processes are central to the maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance in the f …

The distal convoluted tubule is the nephron segment that lies immediately downstream of the macula densa. Although short in length, the distal convoluted tubule plays a critical role in sodium, potassium, and divalent cation homeostasis. Recent genetic and physiologic studies have greatly expanded o …

The thick ascending limb occupies a central anatomic and functional position in human renal physiology, with critical roles in the defense of the extracellular fluid volume, the urinary concentrating mechanism, calcium and magnesium homeostasis, bicarbonate and ammonium homeostasis, and urinary prot …

The ability of mammals to produce urine hyperosmotic to plasma requires the generation of a gradient of increasing osmolality along the medulla from the corticomedullary junction to the papilla tip. Countercurrent multiplication apparently establishes this gradient in the outer medulla, where there …

The human kidneys produce approximately 160-170 L of ultrafiltrate per day. The proximal tubule contributes to fluid, electrolyte, and nutrient homeostasis by reabsorbing approximately 60%-70% of the water and NaCl, a greater proportion of the NaHCO3, and nearly all of the nutrients in the ultrafilt …