Question

What is the effect of aldosterone on the kidney and where it is produced?

Answer 1

Aldosterone is a type of steroid based hormone which is secreted by the adrenal glands. Aldosterone helps in regulation of salt and water balance in the body and therefore, it is categorized under mineralocorticoid. It also plays a role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Complete answer:
General effect of aldosterone on kidneys-
It plays a major role in the homeostatic regulation of blood pressure, regulation of levels of blood and plasma salts like sodium and potassium. It functions in this way by influencing the mineralocorticoid receptors of the distal tubules and collecting ducts of the kidney.
Aldosterone acts mainly at the renal tubules and stimulates the reabsorption of sodium and water and excretion of potassium and phosphate salts. In this way, aldosterone helps the body in the maintenance of salts and electrolytes, body fluid ratio, osmotic pressure, restoring the slats levels and also maintaining blood pressure of the body.
So overall basic physiologic function of aldosterone are resorption of sodium, sodium loss in urine is decreased under aldosterone stimulation and increased resorption of water as resulting expansion of extracellular fluid volume, which is an osmotic effect of the body that is always related to increases the reabsorption of sodium.

Production of aldosterone:
Aldosterone is produced by the adrenal gland. Aldosterone is a hormone produced in the outer part also known as the cortex region of the adrenal glands, which is situated just above part of the kidneys. The negative feedback mechanism for aldosterone is regulated through the renin-angiotensin II-aldosterone system. This hormone secretion is initially activated by a decrease in the mean arterial blood pressure for increasing the blood pressure.

Note: This aldosterone hormone system becomes starts-up whenever the body feels a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, like after a drop in blood pressure, or general drop in blood volume after a hemorrhage attack or accidental injury. Renin activates angiotensin, which further causes the release of aldosterone.