ntogeny of Renal Sodium Transport

ne of the main functions of the adult kidney is to maintain a constant extracellular fluid balance. he adult kidney does this, by and large, by filtering a massive quantity of fluid and reabsorbing the olutes needed to maintain volume and electrolyte homeostasis, while leaving the waste products to e excreted in the urine. One of the most precisely regulated functions of the adult kidney is to aintain sodium balance. The challenge of the neonatal kidney is even greater. It must maintain a ositive salt balance for growth while the neonate is fed a diet that is very low in sodium. This review ocuses on how the neonatal kidney reabsorbs NaCl with a special emphasis on the differences etween the neonatal and adult kidney. 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.