How do the human kidneys conserve water?

The functional unit of the kidney is called the nephron. This is where all the reabsorption takes place. read more

Whatever does not make it through the collecting duct is sent through the ureter to the bladder. In the case of dehydration and the body's need to conserve water, a hormone aptly named antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is released from the pituitary gland. read more

Water balance is essential to our health and survival. This lesson explores how the kidneys regulate water balance with special cells known as osmoreceptors and a process called osmoregulation. You'll also learn how this process relates to a rare form of diabetes known as diabetes insipidus. read more

Water moves from an area of low Na concentration (high water concentration) in the collecting ducts to an area of high Na concentration (low water concentration) in the medullary tissue. If you remove water from the filtrate at this final stage, you can concentrate the urine. read more