The effect of ADH on tubule permeability and in water balance – Higher
ADH
Two important areas inside the brain are the hypothalamusThe part of the brain that detects changes in blood temperature and water concentration., which detects changes in the blood plasma, and the pituitary glandAn endocrine gland that is located just below the centre of the brain. It releases a number of important hormones., which regulates the release of the anti-diuretic hormone, known as ADHA hormone produced in the pituitary gland that controls the volume and concentration of urine..
Different amounts of ADH are released into the bloodstream according to the concentration of water in the blood plasmaThe liquid part of the blood containing useful things like glucose, amino acids, minerals, vitamins (nutrients) and hormones, as well as waste materials such as urea.. ADH is released by the pituitary gland when the blood is too concentrated and it causes the kidney tubules to become more permeableA substance which allows fluids or gases to pass through it.. This allows more water to be reabsorbed back into the blood during selective reabsorption.
If a person has consumed a large volume of water and has not lost much as sweat, too much water might be detected in the blood plasma. If this occurs, less ADH will be released, which results in less water being reabsorbed and a dilute and larger volume of urine will be produced.
If a person becomes too hot and sweats a lot, but doesn't drink enough water to replace what was lost, too little water might be detected in the blood plasma. More ADH will be released, which results in water being reabsorbed and a more concentrated but smaller volume of urine will be produced.
This type of control is an example of the negative feedback mechanism. It aims to keep the concentration of the blood plasma constant.
Plasma
Problem
ADH release
Effect of ADH
Effect on urine
High concentration
Too little water
Increases
More water reabsorbed by nephrons
More concentrated
Low concentration
Too much water
Decreases
Less water reabsorbed by nephrons
More dilute
Plasma
High concentration
Problem
Too little water
ADH release
Increases
Effect of ADH
More water reabsorbed by nephrons
Effect on urine
More concentrated
Plasma
Low concentration
Problem
Too much water
ADH release
Decreases
Effect of ADH
Less water reabsorbed by nephrons
Effect on urine
More dilute
A negative feedback control system responds when conditions change from the ideal or set point and returns conditions to this set point. There is a continuous cycle of events in negative feedback.