Biological complexity: kidney function is higly complex (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, June 27, 2016, 01:31 (3072 days ago) @ David Turell

I discussed the complexities of the kidney many times but not in great detail because there is not enough room in one entry. Only the brain and the liver are more complex. Rudimentary kidneys undoubtedly appeared in the Cambrian explosion for their current descendants have them:-http://www.evolutionnews.org/2016/06/the_kidneys_irr102933.html-"The functioning unit in the kidney is the nephron, and there are about one million per kidney. The nephron filters fluid out of the blood by squeezing it through a specialized capillary system called the glomerulus. The kidneys filter about 7.5 liters of fluid, with its chemical content, out of circulation per hour. This fluid enters tubules, which wind their way through the tissue of the kidney on its way to becoming urine. As the fluid moves along the cells lining, the tubules reabsorb or secrete different chemicals to the degree that is necessary for body survival. -"The body is always taking in different amounts of various chemicals through the gastrointestinal system, while simultaneously losing them through metabolism. Therefore, the ongoing chemical needs of the body are always in flux and the kidneys must constantly adjust to these changes by changing how much of a given chemical they keep or release from the body through the urine. We will look at the five vital chemicals mentioned above, water, sodium, potassium, calcium, and nitrogen, and explain how the body, through the kidneys, adjusts them to stay alive. -***-"Since blood volume is dependent on water content and water content is dependent on sodium content, this means that the wall motion that takes place as blood flows into a blood vessel or chamber is a reflection of the body's sodium content. One set of sensors, called mechanoreceptors, detect this wall motion within the kidneys, where blood enters to be filtered, and another is in the walls of the atria. The sensory cells in the kidneys release a hormone, called renin. The amount of renin released is inversely related to how much wall motion the sensors detect. The more the walls stretch, indicating more blood volume, the less renin is sent out, and the less the walls stretch, indicating less volume, the more renin is sent out. In contrast, the atrial cells send out a hormone, called Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP), in an amount that is directly related to how much wall motion they detect. The more the walls stretch, indicating more blood volume, the more ANP is sent out, and vice versa.-"Renin results in the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II which binds to specific receptors in the adrenal glands and tells them to release another hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone travels to the kidneys and attaches to specific receptors on the cells lining some of its tubules. This tells them to bring more sodium back into the body. So, the less blood volume, the more renin, resulting in more angiotensin II and aldosterone, and more sodium the kidneys reabsorb. In contrast, the more blood volume, the more ANP attaches to specific receptorson the same tubules in the kidneys and tells them to release more sodium. In other words, the effects of renin and ANP counterbalance each other.-***-"The body uses sensors in specialized cells within the adrenal glands to detect the ratio between the K+ and Na+ ion concentration in the blood. If the ratio rises, due to an increase in K+ ion concentration or a decrease in Na+ ion concentration, these cells send out more aldosterone. Conversely, if the ratio drops, due to a decrease in K+ ion concentration or an increase in Na+ ion concentration, it sends out less aldosterone. -***-"The cells of the four parathyroid glands have sensors that can detect the calcium level in the blood. In response to a drop in serum calcium, they release more parathormone (PTH). PTH travels in the blood and not only makes the bone release more Ca++ ions into the circulation but tells the kidneys to activate Vitamin D so the gastrointestinal tract can absorb more calcium. It also attaches to specific receptors within the tubules and tells them to bring more calcium back into the body. By using calcium sensors, PTH, and its specific receptors in the kidneys, the body is able to take control of its calcium content. -"Nitrogen is mainly present in the amino acids that make up the proteins of the body. Protein metabolism produces a highly toxic nitrogen-containing molecule called ammonia, which the liver converts into less toxic urea to be released from the body through the kidneys."-Comment: This shows highly complex organization between the kidney, the liver and various hormone producing organs. I've selected out just parts of this long article which should be read in full to really appreciate how complex all of this system has to be. Irreducibly complex for all of it is needed all at once in development within the Cambrian Explosion. We are back to saltation and the recognition that Darwin's ideas don't work. But intelligent design explains it. There is only chance and design to consider, or wish for a third way, for which there is no trace of evidence.