Renal tubule energy requirements

As further tissues were examined it became evident that the details of mitochondrial morphology were very variable. While most cells had rod-or sausage-shaped organelles, some were spherical. Other cells had mitochondria with spiral cristae or with massive crystalline inclusions. In confirmation of earlier suggestions from classical microscopists the position of mitochondria in cells was also seen to be linked with the site in the cell where energy was required. In skeletal muscle the mitochondria were adjacent to the myofibrils in the renal tubules they were close to the inner (non-luminal) surface of the cell which was then found to be the location of the Na/K-ATPase involved in active... 

Transport of solutes and water occurs both across and between the epithelial cells that line the renal tubules. Transport is both active (energy requiring) and passive, but many of the so-called passive transport processes are dependent upon or secondary to active transport processes, particularly those involving sodium transport. All known transport processes involve receptor or mediator molecules, many of which have now been identified and characterized using molecular biological teclmiques. The activity of many of these molecules is regulated by phosphorylation facilitated by protein kinase C or Their renal distribution has... 

The mechanisms of transfer of molecules and ions across the wall of tubules are more complicated than in the artificial apparatus. In addition to osmosis and simple passive transport viz., ordinary downhill mass transfer due to concentration gradients), renal mass transfer involves active transport viz., uphill mass transport against gradients). The mechanism of active transport, which often occurs in living systems, is beyond the scope of this text. Active transport requires a certain amount of energy, as can be seen from the fact that live kidneys require an efficient oxygen supply. 

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