Renal tubular development

Abstract

The nephron is faced with the enormous task of maintaining a constant composition and volume of the extracellular fluid. The amount of electrolytes and water ingested and absorbed must be eliminated, and the waste products from metabolism must also be excreted. This challenge is all the more complex as our dietary intake is quite variable from day to day. Despite this variable intake, there is virtually no change in the volume or composition of the extracellular fluid volume from day to day.